


The truth always surfaces

by SasuNarufan13



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Bottom!Harry, But that doesn't last long, Dark at some points, Drama, In two endings there will be a lemon, M/M, Mpreg, OMC/Harry Potter first, One 'angsty' ending, One 'happy' ending, One epilogue for the angsty ending, Sequel to Draco's secret, Three different epilogues, Two different endings, Two different epilogues for the 'happy' ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:30:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 88,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SasuNarufan13/pseuds/SasuNarufan13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has no clue what Draco did with him and Draco doesn't want to confess. However, one discovery forces Draco to admit what he had done. Will Harry ever forgive him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So yes, this is the sequel to Draco's secret. In this, it will be explained how Harry has ended up pregnant - without knowing at first who knocked him up. So there will be a fair amount of angst.  
> I always try to be realistic when it comes to reactions and feelings in my stories, so expect some heavy angst and an uncertain Harry at times when it comes to the subject of the baby (there won't be any abortion in this story). That said, I don't want to offend anyone with this story, but seeing as I don't have any experience with what Harry goes through in this story, I'm just whinging it with what I read in magazines/books and see on tv.
> 
> I'm editing it, so I apologize if there are any mistakes left behind.
> 
> When the time comes for the two different endings to be posted, I'll explain what I mean with that more thoroughly in the notes then.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 1**

Grey eyes slowly opened and looked around, stopping when they saw a black haired boy sleeping peacefully.

Draco smiled tenderly and his finger ghosted over Harry's cheek, marveling at the softness of it. Harry was so beautiful in the early sunlight.

Draco knew that once Harry woke up, his dream would be shattered. Harry wouldn't remember a thing of what had happened last night. He wouldn't remember their kisses, nor the touches or the lovemaking. All that Harry would remember was that they had talked and then had fallen asleep together. Nothing else.

Draco resolved himself not to cry; he knew the consequences of his actions and he would have to live with it. He could do this. He still had Harry as his friend and he had the memory of their lovemaking; that would be enough for the rest of his life.

Startling emerald green eyes looked at him sleepily.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Draco forced himself to smile. _Act like nothing happened. You can do this._

Harry yawned behind his hand. "Good morning, Dray. What time is it?"

Draco glanced at the clock, hanging on the wall. "It's eight thirty."

"It's time to get up then," Harry mumbled, sitting up. "Are you staying for breakfast?"

Draco nodded. "If you don't mind."

Harry smiled. "Of course I don't mind. You can take a shower while I prepare breakfast."

Draco stood up and commented, "You know you could just call a house elf and order a breakfast, right?"

Harry chuckled. "I know, but I prefer to do it on my own. Why? Do you have complaints about my food?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Merlin no! I wouldn't dare to insult your cooking," Draco smirked. "I mean I can eat it without getting food poisoning, so your food is at least edible."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, stop, you're overwhelming me with your compliments," he smiled and made his way to the kitchen.

Draco laughed and went into the bathroom. Because he frequently stayed over, his favourite shampoo waited for him on the sink, next to Harry's stuff. He folded his pyjamas and placed them on a little table standing next to the sink. He grabbed his shampoo and a towel and stepped into the shower. Draco shivered when the cold water hit his body before warming up. Absentmindedly he lathered himself with soap and washed his hair before rinsing off.

He reevaluated everything that had happened since yesterday. He had completed the potion, drugged Harry with it and had slept with him and Harry remembered nothing of it. _Merlin, he was an asshole_. Draco rested his head against the white tiles and closed his eyes. If Harry ever discovered what he had done, he would lose Harry… and he would deserve it. He had taken advantage of his best friend; his best friend who trusted him. He was the greatest asshole on earth.

For one moment, he thought about telling Harry the truth. It would relieve some of his guilt. This horrible feeling of guilt would never disappear completely, but it would ease a bit if he told the truth. However, his cowardice held him back. He didn't want to lose Harry. He loved him. He was afraid of losing him. He couldn't lose Harry. If that meant lying, then so be it.

Draco sighed and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself and dressed himself in the clothes he had worn yesterday. He had been smart enough to collect their clothes they had left in the living room. It would be difficult to explain why their clothes had been thrown on the floor.

He walked to the kitchen, putting a fake smile on his face. "Harry, what do you think of …" he trailed off when he took in the sight he was met with.

Harry was leaning against the kitchen counter and another boy with brown hair who was slightly bigger than Harry had his arms around the black haired boy and was kissing him. They broke apart when they heard Draco.

Harry blushed and stepped away from the other boy. He cleared his throat. "Eh, hey. Draco, I didn't know you were done with your shower. Well, eh, I think I should introduce you two, right?" he laughed nervously. "Merlin, this is awkward. So, Draco, this is Marc, my boyfriend. Marc, this is my best friend Draco."

Marc smiled and stuck out his hand. "Good morning, Draco. Harry told me a lot about you. Good things, I can assure you," he chuckled.

"That's funny; Harry never mentioned you before," Draco replied coolly, not shaking the offered hand.

"Draco …" Harry said warningly. He really didn't want a fight between his best friend and his boyfriend. All right, he admitted that he should have told Draco sooner that he was gay and that he had a boyfriend. The problem was that it never seemed the perfect moment for it. He had tried guessing how Draco would react to him being gay, but he only freaked himself out with the possible reactions. The only ones who knew he was gay were Remus and Sirius.

He and Marc had been a couple for three months now. One day after lessons had ended, Harry had been walking to his room with his nose in a book that Remus had lent him. He was so engrossed in the book that he never had noticed someone walking towards him. As a result, he had bumped into this person and his book had dropped.

_Flashback_

"I'm so sorry. I didn't pay attention. Are you okay?" Harry apologized and blushed lightly.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Guess I wasn't paying attention either," the boy laughed.

Harry looked up at him and stood frozen to the spot. In front of him stood a boy, slightly taller than him. He had messy, brown hair and twinkling, blue eyes that gave him a naughty look. One corner of his mouth was turned up, smiling a crooked grin. His blue sweater had shoved up a bit, showing a muscled stomach. His black slacks showed long, lean legs. All in all, Harry arrived at one conclusion - this boy was hot. Harry blushed harder and looked down at the floor. Why hadn't he stayed ignorant about his sexual orientation?

"My name is Marc Liander," the boy introduced himself and offered Harry his hand.

Harry shook it and chuckled awkwardly. "Well, you know my name, Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Marc chuckled. He bent down and picked up Harry's book. "I think this belongs to you, right?"

"Yeah, thanks," Harry smiled and took his book back.

"Well, I promised a friend I would meet him in the library so we can study, so I guess it's time that I go. Don't want him to go crazy," Marc laughed.

"Yeah, have fun studying," Harry chuckled.

"I'll try." Marc winked and with a wave, he walked away.

For a moment, Harry stood dazed, not being able to believe that such a hot boy had talked with him before remembering he really should go back to his room, because Draco would wait for him there.

Harry kept bumping into Marc a few times more until they started to hang out with each other. Then, on Valentine's Day, to Harry's astonishment, Marc asked him out on a date. He had never expected Marc to be gay – but who was he to complain? They had a quiet dinner at a new restaurant in Hogsmead and when they returned back to Hogwarts, Marc had kissed Harry softly on his lips in front of his painting before leaving him for that night. Two days later he had asked the black haired boy to be his boyfriend, to which Harry had happily agreed. Harry just never found the right moment to tell Draco about his relationship or his sexual orientation.

_End flashback_

"It doesn't matter, Harry. I'm not offended," Marc reassured him. He looked at the two of them. "You know what? I'll let you talk to your friend and I'll be later back to get you for our date," he suggested and gave Harry a sweet kiss on his mouth.

"You're sure?" Harry asked softly.

Marc nodded and smiled. "Of course, just let me know when you're done." He nodded to Draco. "Bye, Draco."

Draco just glared at him.

When they heard the painting close, Harry took a deep breath. "Do you want some coffee?" he asked nonchalantly, trying to come up with a way to explain all this.

Draco sat down at the kitchen table and nodded.

One minute later, Harry sat down across from the blond boy and handed him a cup coffee.

"So, how long have you been seeing that guy?" Draco asked annoyed. To think that Harry was gay – he had had the chance to confess to him, months ago! He could have had a chance with him! But instead of that, some jerk had been faster than him and had snatched Harry away. Merlin, that pissed him off!

"We are together since Valentine's Day," Harry muttered, warming his hands on his warm cup of coffee.

Draco nearly gaped. Four months? Harry had been together with him for four months already? How come he hadn't known about that? He had spent so much time with Harry, but never had he noticed that Harry was interested in someone. What else had he missed? Suddenly he froze up. Wait a minute. Harry was four months together with Marc; how far had they go already? Could it be that Harry hadn't been a virgin anymore before Draco had slept with him last night? It felt like a slap in his face.

"Oh, well, that's a long time," Draco commented idly, trying to figure out why he would be so upset if Harry hadn't been a virgin anymore. It would even be better if he hadn't been a virgin anymore, because that meant Draco hadn't taken his virginity without him knowing it.

"Yeah, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. I was just … afraid that you wouldn't want to be friends with me anymore," Harry mumbled ashamed.

Draco looked at him surprised. "Why wouldn't I want to be friends with you anymore? I don't care if you're gay." _Hell, I'm it too_ , Draco added in thought. "I just wished you had told me sooner so that I wouldn't be that surprised to see him here."

"So you're not disgusted by the fact that I'm gay?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Of course not. It would be rather hypocritical of me to be disgusted, considering I'm gay too," Draco replied dryly.

Harry stared at him wide eyed. "You're gay too? I didn't know that," he said surprised.

"Yes, well, it's not something to blab around if you're a Slytherin," Draco muttered.

Harry hmm'ed in understanding.

For a while it was silent; both boys were ingesting the surprising information and in Draco's case beating himself up for not taking his chance with Harry sooner.

"I hope for his sake that he's treating you well," Draco commented nonchalantly, but Harry noticed the hidden threat in his voice. If Harry said no, Marc would have a very unpleasant day.

"He's wonderful. Can't ask for a better boyfriend," Harry smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"And is he wonderful in bed too?" Draco smirked. If Harry answered truthfully, he would know now if Harry had been a virgin or not. Of course, if he had been Harry's first, he would still feel awful for stealing his first time. Either way, he still was an asshole.

Harry nearly choked in his coffee. He coughed hard and his face went red from the lack of oxygen. "What? I don't know," he snapped defensively.

A shock went through Draco's body. So, Harry had still been a virgin. Well, shit. Harry had a boyfriend and Draco was the one who had stolen his first time; that was just peachy. Hopefully, Marc would never find out what he had done with Harry. He would be so screwed then.

Before Harry could notice his shock, he had schooled his face in a teasing look. "Are you going to tell me you haven't fucked him yet?"

Harry went red at the rude question. "No, I didn't. And it would probably be the other way around," he muttered at the end. So he admitted he was more of the bottom type; it was nothing to be ashamed of! He didn't know how it would feel like, having sex, but he couldn't see himself top Marc.

Grey eyes sparkled at him and Harry groaned inwardly. _He shouldn't have admitted that last thing!_

"So, you're the bottom, huh. Nice to know that," Draco teased.

"Shut up!" Harry cried out embarrassed.

"Hey, you don't have to be embarrassed about that. You're cute enough to be the bottom." Draco shrugged amused.

A slam to his shoulder had him yelping and rubbing the abused spot.

"If you call me cute one more time, I'm going to drop you from the Astronomy tower. Got that?" Harry threatened. He hated it when people called him cute. _He was a sixteen (almost seventeen) year old boy, for Merlin's sake!_

"Oh, I'm so scared right now," Draco laughed.

Harry growled and kicked him underneath the table.

Draco yelped again. "All right, I promise I'll behave."

"Good." Harry nodded satisfied.

"Anyway, if you two don't fuck, what do you do when you're together?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry rolled his eyes. "You know, I never realized how perverted you really are. We talk, cuddle, kiss … you know, all the stuff other couples do."

Draco hummed in response. It really hurt him that Harry was now out of reach for him. There was always a chance that Harry broke up with Marc, but that would probably be a long time before that happened. If it happened at all.

Draco guessed that the only way Harry would break up with Marc was if he caught him cheating. Unfortunately for Draco, Marc was not some sneaky Slytherin, but an honest Ravenclaw. Marc would probably dump Harry if he knew Harry was cheating on him, but again, that would never happen, because Harry wasn't like that. He would never hurt someone like that. Draco briefly thought of letting Marc know that he had slept with Harry and prove it with his memories, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Harry would never look at him again if he pulled a stunt like that. And his godfather would probably kill Draco for taking advantage of his godson – not that Draco would object to that.

Draco sighed inwardly when Marc reappeared again in the room, ready to take Harry on a date. It would be difficult, but he supposed he just would have to wait until something happened that would cause a break up between the two lovebirds. And when that happened, Draco would be there to take in Marc's spot – and he would make damn sure he was being kept there.

Sadly for the blond Slytherin, things wouldn't be that simple for him. That was something he would discover in a few months.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I still have some time left before school starts again, here's the second chapter ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it
> 
> I hope you'll like this!  
> Oh yes, a little note: Draco's secret is situated in the middle of May. This chapter is situated at the end of June, so Harry is already 1,5 months pregnant.

**Chapter 2**

The following weeks were difficult for Draco. Now that he was aware of Harry's relationship, Harry saw no need to keep the two boys separate from each other and often organized trips for the three of them. Regularly Draco found Marc sitting in Harry's living room and he had to keep himself from hexing the Ravenclaw. He had tried to find bad qualities in the boy, but annoyingly enough, he couldn't find any. He seemed like the perfect boyfriend and that was something Draco wouldn't believe. Everyone had flaws; it was only a matter of time until he discovered Marc's flaws. And then he would … What would he do? That was something he hadn't figured out yet.

The week before their graduation, Draco and Harry were the only ones found in Harry's living room. It was a rare occurrence for Draco to have Harry all to himself and he enjoyed every minute of it.

"How did your exams go?" Draco asked curiously.

Harry grimaced. "I think I did fine. Potions was tricky; I'm not sure if I did well in the theory and History was a complete disaster like usual," he answered lightly.

Draco chuckled amused.

"And you? Every exam perfect like usual?" Harry teased, his green eyes sparkling.

Draco shrugged. "I suppose everything went well. Severus hasn't hexed me yet, so I assume I did well for Potions."

Harry grinned. "Merlin forbid you fail at Potions. Marc did well too, but he isn't sure of Defence against the Dark Arts."

"Where is he?" Draco asked politely. Not that he particularly cared where the Ravenclaw was – the further, the better.

"He's having a party with some of his friends." The dark haired boy shrugged.

"How come you're not joining him?" Draco asked and sipped of his cold pumpkin juice.

"You know I hate parties, Dray," Harry complained and tucked his feet underneath his body.

Draco rolled his eyes, but smiled. Wanting to get away of the subject Marc, he asked, "Do you have plans for the summer?"

The other boy shook his head. "No, not yet. Marc goes on vacation with his family to Greece the first three weeks and I haven't heard Sirius planning anything. Not that that says something; it's possible that he announces next week we're going on a trip to the Bahamas or something like that." He rolled his eyes. "I think I'm going to use this vacation to think of what I'm going to do next with my life."

"You're not planning to study for Auror?" Draco asked surprised. They hadn't talked about their career choices, but he had assumed Harry would choose to be an Auror.

Harry sighed and ranked his hand through his hair. "No, to be honest I'm tired of fighting dark wizards. One lunatic trying to take over the world is enough for me in a lifetime."

"Hm, can't argue with that," Draco chuckled.

"Do you have plans for the summer?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know yet. Mother was thinking about going to the Cote d'Azur for a few weeks to enjoy the sun and relax. If you want, you can come with us. I'm sure mother will be delighted to see you again and I'm sure I'll manage to convince her to let her cousin and Lupin join in too."

"I don't want to intrude, Draco," Harry protested.

"Nonsense, you won't intrude. In fact mother has already talked to me on how I have to convince you to come with us on a vacation," Draco smiled. It was true, his mother was very fond of Harry. She saw him like her second son and always doted on him the few times Harry had visited the manor.

"Well, a vacation at the Cote d'Azur sounds rather nice. I've never been there before," Harry muttered, sounding as if he was hesitating.

"Then why thinking about it? Just go with us, you deserved it." Draco winked.

Harry sighed and then smiled amused. "Fine, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a vacation in the Cote d'Azur."

Draco snorted. "You suppose?"

"Shut up," Harry laughed and threw one of the pillows lying on the couch at him. Draco ducked to avoid it, before throwing the pillow back at Harry.

* * *

One week later, all the seventh years were dressed in their formal robes, standing in rows in the Great Hall before their family, waiting for their names to be called so that they could receive their degree and go join their family and friends.

Harry was standing next to Draco. Marc was standing two rows after him and every so often he felt Marc's gaze resting on him before it disappeared again.

His green eyes sought out the two men he now called his family and saw Sirius and Remus sitting in the second row in the front, winking at him when they noticed him looking. Harry smiled weakly back. He wasn't feeling that well. Since two weeks, he often woke up feeling nauseous and there were many times where he had to bolt out of his bed and run to the toilet before he puked on his bed. After he was done worshipping the toilet, he could eat without having the urge to go to the toilet again, but sometimes – like now – he was nauseous throughout the day. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He hadn't gone to Poppy, because he hated the hospital and he was sure it was nothing serious. He hadn't told Sirius and Remus either, because he was sure they would force him to see Poppy.

He figured it was because he was nervous about the fact that he was graduating today. For seven years he had walked through this castle, followed lessons (some more interesting and fun than others), had played Quidditch, made friends, lost friends, fought against Voldemort and had found love. He would miss Hogwarts despite the fact that he had quite a few near dead moments while he studied here. Still, it was the first place he had called home.

Because he was now almost eighteen and Voldemort was defeated, he didn't need to return back to the Dursleys which was fine with him.

He was surprised when he had managed to get good grades for all his subjects. He even had received an E for Potions. It had taken him some time to take that bit of information in his mind before he went and searched Marc to snog him senseless.

It was Draco's turn to walk to professor McGonagall and receive his degree. He smiled at her and then turned around with his degree in his hand and joined his mother who was sitting next to her cousin.

"I'm so proud of you, my Dragon," she smiled at him and squeezed his hand.

He smiled back. "Thank you, mother." He returned his attention to the front and watched Harry. He frowned when he noticed how pale Harry looked and wondered if the boy was sick. Or was he just nervous?

Harry clamped an arm around his middle, willing his stomach to settle down before he puked over the person in front of him. He bit his lip and concentrated on breathing deep in and out and was relieved when the nauseous feeling died down a bit.

His head shot up when McGonagall called out, "Mister Harry Potter, please come and pick up your degree."

He took a deep breath and walked to McGonagall.

She smiled at him. "Congratulations, Potter. I'm sure you will do fine in the rest of your life."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," he whispered smiling and received his degree with clammy hands.

He hurried to his godfather and fell down in the chair between Sirius with Remus on his other side.

"I'm so proud of you, Prongslet," Sirius grinned and hugged him tightly.

Like always, Remus said, "Let him go, Sirius, before you suffocate him."

Sirius chuckled and released an out of breath Harry. He had enough time to take a big gulp of air and get his hair ruffled before he was enveloped in a hug from Remus.

"Your parents would have been so proud of you," Remus whispered in his ear and Harry blinked away some tears.

"Thanks," he muttered back and Remus smiled at him before releasing him. He spotted Marc sitting next to his parents and Marc winked at him when he caught Harry looking at him. Harry blushed and reverted his eyes back to the front to see Blaise Zabini graduating.

Finally they were able to just mingle around. Many of them were saying goodbye to friends, promising each other to stay in touch. Others were already discussing what they would be doing next.

Draco came to stand next to Harry. "Finally we are graduated from Hogwarts," he grinned excitedly.

"Aren't you going to miss the school?" Harry asked smiling.

"Maybe a bit, but not much. Especially not Binns." Both boys snickered when they thought about the ghost who was teaching History of Magic. Even dead he managed to suck the life out of history.

"Sirius, I was wondering if you would mind to join me, my son and Harry on a vacation to the Cote d'Azur. Mister Lupin is welcome too, of course," Narcissa spoke calmly.

Harry and Draco turned their attention on their guardians.

Sirius rubbed his neck. "I don't know, Cissy. Are you sure you won't mind?"

Narcissa shook her head, her long, blonde hair swishing with the movement before falling down again on her back. "Of course not. If I had minded, would I have extended the invitation?" She raised a pale eyebrow.

"Well, in that case, I'm not saying no to that kind of vacation," Sirius grinned.

"Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Malfoy," Remus smiled kindly.

Narcissa waved her hand. "Oh please, I'm not longer married to Lucius, so you can call me Narcissa."

"Back to being a Black, sweet cousin?" Sirius asked amused.

"As it stands now, I benefit the most from being a Black than being a Malfoy," Narcissa smiled thinly.

"Does this mean that your last name is Black too now?" Harry whispered confused to Draco.

Draco shook his head. "No, my last name is still Malfoy. Mother tried to change my last name, but the Ministry wouldn't hear of it, saying that many estates and vaults in Gringotts would be lost if I changed my name to Black."

At Harry's confused look, he explained, "The Ministry took away my father's privileges and his titles. All the vaults, estates and possessions on the name of Malfoy now all belong to me, because I'm the last Malfoy. If my name was changed to Black, we would lose them all."

"Ah." Harry nodded in understanding.

"Hey! This means you're going on vacation with me," Draco suddenly grinned.

"I can't wait," Harry smiled back, already excited at the prospect of spending time in the Cote d'Azur.

"When are we leaving on vacation, Narcissa?" Remus asked curiously.

"In a week, so you have enough time to pack," Narcissa answered smiling.

Draco turned back to Harry to say something, but froze when he noticed Marc standing behind Harry. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the boy.

Harry turned around to see who Draco was looking at and smiled when he saw his boyfriend standing behind him.

"Marc," Harry greeted him and gave him a quick kiss on his mouth.

Marc hugged him to his chest. "What do you say of taking a walk so that we can talk?" he suggested.

Harry immediately froze. Those words generally meant nothing good when you were dating someone. Would Marc dump him now?

He turned around and saw Sirius and Remus looking curiously at him. Narcissa was staring at Marc with a frown on her face.

Harry smiled weakly. "Eh, Marc and I are going for a walk."

"All right, but don't take long, kiddo. I want to treat you," Sirius smiled.

"Okay. See you later, Draco," Harry smiled at the blond boy and followed Marc through the masses, leaving an angry Draco behind.

Draco clenched his fists and his grey eyes were practically shooting fire.

"Dragon, is something wrong?" his mother asked concerned.

Draco took a deep, shaky breath. "No, nothing is wrong, mother," he smiled thinly.

"Draco, can I talk to you for a moment?" the soft and smooth voice of his godfather, Severus Snape, spoke up behind him.

Draco turned around and nodded.

* * *

Harry followed Marc through the hallway, up to the first floor. They were walking slowly and although Marc was holding his hand, Harry still had a nagging feeling in his stomach.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Harry asked, wiping a clammy hand on his trousers.

"About the holidays," Marc answered simply.

Harry looked at him suspiciously. The holidays? What about them?

"What do you mean?" Harry asked confused.

"You know I'm going to Greece with my parents the first three weeks, right?" Marc asked.

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know, you told me that a few weeks ago."

"Well, you see, …" Marc started.

Harry ripped his hand away and stared at Marc. "You're not trying to dump me, because you want freedom during your vacation, are you?" He narrowed his eyes.

Marc stared at him incredulously. "What? No, of course not! I don't want to dump you! Merlin, where did you get that from?" He shook his head.

"You said you wanted to take a walk to talk; those words generally lead to a break up. What else was I supposed to think?" Harry huffed and crossed his arms, but was secretly relieved that Marc didn't want to dump him.

"You're supposed to trust me and know better," Marc chided, but his eyes sparkled amused.

"Then what did you want to talk about if you're not dumping me?" Harry asked again.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to Greece. My parents would love it if you joined us; they can't wait to meet you and get to know you better," Marc grinned excitedly.

Harry opened his mouth to give his answer, but suddenly the nausea flared up again and he clamped his hand over his mouth, eyes widening and he pushed his boyfriend to the side, hurrying to the toilets. Thankfully he reached the bowl on time and began puking his breakfast in the bowl. Due to the fact that he hadn't eaten much that morning, his stomach was soon empty and he was dry heaving, while gripping the bowl tightly.

He felt Marc behind him and he pushed something cold against his clam forehead. Harry relaxed when he felt the soothing cold and slowly sat up, wiping his mouth with the cloth Marc had conjured. Marc conjured up a glass with water and Harry drank from it gratefully.

"I'm sorry that you had to see this," Harry sighed miserably.

Marc looked at him concerned. "Did you eat something wrong? Or are you sick?"

"I think it was just the nerves for today," Harry smiled weakly. "Nothing to worry about; I'm not getting sick." _At least I hope I'm not_ , he thought.

"If you say so, baby," Marc said, but his face didn't lose the worry. "Do you think you can stand up?"

Harry rolled his eyes and stood up. "Of course I can stand up."

"So, now that you're done puking," Marc smiled to which Harry snorted. "Are you joining me and my parents on our vacation?"

Harry took a deep breath. This would be hard to explain.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the third chapter ^^  
> Warnings: Eh, some fooling around between Harry and Marc, but nothing serious, so no lime or lemon
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 3**

"Harry? I would really like to hear your answer now," Marc chuckled.

Harry sighed and rolled his shoulders, feeling quite awkward. Right now, he had to choose between his best friend and his boyfriend. Whoever he chose, there would still be one who would be disappointed and hurt. Harry hated hurting and disappointing people, especially people he cared about.

"Well, Marc, you really surprise me with your question," he smiled nervously, trying to buy some time.

"Yeah, I know, but my parents really want to meet you and what better way to do than during a vacation in Greece?" Marc winked.

"Marc, I really appreciate the offer, but the thing is …" Harry sighed and bit his lip, not daring to look his boyfriend in the eyes. "I … kind of already promised Draco I would go with him to France, together with my family and his mother."

Marc didn't react for a long time and Harry looked at him hesitatingly.

Marc was staring at him with a blank face and Harry got more nervous with each second that passed in silence. He didn't want to anger or disappoint him, but he had promised Draco first that he would join him. Harry liked to keep his promises. Only until now, his promises hadn't made him choose between his best friend and boyfriend.

Slowly Harry reached out with his hand and touched Marc's arm. "Marc?"

Marc sighed and shifted his weight from one leg to the other, rubbing with one hand in his neck. "Well, that is really … unexpected." He breathed out slowly.

"I'm really sorry, Marc. I really would like to go on a vacation with you and your parents, but I already …"

Marc interrupted him. "Promised him, yeah, you said that already," he muttered. He couldn't help but feel annoyed at Harry's refusal. They were almost together for five months and his parents had already been asking after Harry two months ago. His mother had been ecstatic when she heard that her son had finally found someone who made him happy and his father was proud of his choice. Of course, why wouldn't he be when his son was together with _the_ Harry Potter? It wasn't like his parents cared if Harry was famous or not – all they cared about was that their son was happy. Especially his mother had been looking forward to finally meet Harry. She would be so disappointed now.

"Are you mad at me?" Harry asked in a small voice.

Marc looked at him, but couldn't find it in him to be angry at his boyfriend. Harry was looking at him with large, green eyes that were begging him to understand and he sighed again. Damn those puppy eyes; he really hated those.

He closed his arms around Harry's slender waist and pulled him against him, kissing him softly on his lips. "No, I'm not mad at you. I can live with it, don't worry," he smiled weakly.

"Maybe we can have a date before you leave?" Harry suggested, looping his arms around Marc's neck and kissing him quickly.

"I like the sound of that," Marc grinned and drew him back in a passionate kiss.

Harry responded back eagerly, pushing his body flush against the other one.

They only broke apart when they heard Sirius yelling, "Harry! Where are you? We're going out to dinner, remember?"

"Shout a bit louder, Sirius, I don't think the whole castle heard you," Harry heard Remus responding dryly.

They were close to the toilets.

"I guess we have to go back," Harry murmured reluctantly and sighed.

Marc nodded and released Harry, only grabbing his hand. "Guess so."

* * *

"You wanted to talk to me, Uncle Sev?" Draco cocked his head, leaning against one of the desks in Severus' classroom. Severus was standing in front of him, looking at him with unreadable eyes.

"I wanted to know if you are still serious about getting a master in Potions," Severus explained, looking at his godson intently.

Draco nodded. "Well yes, I actually wanted to spend the rest of the holiday looking at schools in Britain and Europe," he replied, not understanding why Severus had taken him apart to ask him this. He could have asked that in the Hall.

"And lose your money to idiots that can barely brew a Felix Felicis without having to restart the process at least thrice?" Severus scoffed.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows. "I would obviously look for only the best schools with the best reputation."

"Wouldn't it be in your best interest to learn it from an actual Potions Master?" Severus raised a black eyebrow.

"Well yes, I wouldn't learn it from anyone lower." Draco frowned. He had a suspicion to where this conversation was going, but it couldn't be true. That would be hoping for too much.

"Good, then I'll see you in my office on the first of September. Be sure to buy these books. I don't want to be kept waiting on the first day of your education," Severus replied brusquely and handed a folded paper over to Draco, who accepted it dumbfounded.

Draco remembered to close his mouth, less he looked uncivilized, but he couldn't hide the shock on his face. Severus was actually offering to tutor him in Potions? If that was true, then he was the luckiest person on earth! Severus Snape was regarded as the best Potions Master, not only in Great-Britain, but in the whole world. To Draco's knowledge, he had never accepted private students, though there had been many to beg him for a place.

"Are you sure?" Draco couldn't help but ask. Shock was slowly replaced with giddiness and excitement took over his whole body. He was going to learn from the best Potions Master there was! And Severus had chosen him!

Severus looked at him irritated. "Of course I am sure. Do you think I would have offered you the position as my private student if I wasn't sure? Just make sure you don't mess it up, brat," he growled.

"I won't! I swear it!" Draco smiled excitedly and before he could think his actions through, he hugged his stoic, cold godfather around his waist.

Severus froze when he felt the two arms hugging him, but slowly hugged back; rather awkwardly because he never hugged anyone out of free will and he saw to it that no one dared to hug him, but Draco had always been an exception.

Draco laughed nervously when he finally realized what he had done and hastily stepped back. "Thank you very much, Uncle Sev." He blushed, only now realizing he had slipped into his childhood use of shortening Severus' name.

"Don't mention it," Severus muttered brusquely. "I suppose we better return to the Great Hall before your mother decides it's an opportune moment to snoop around in my office."

Draco chuckled and followed Severus out of the cold classroom. His mother could be quite curious sometimes.

* * *

Draco found his mother standing next to Sirius, who had his arm slung around Remus, laughing about something.

Looking around, he spotted Harry standing with Marc to the side, almost hidden in an alcove. Marc had his arms around Harry and was whispering something in his ear to which the dark haired boy responded with an eager smile and a heated kiss.

Draco looked away, feeling his good mood disappear at the sight of seeing his love interest kissing someone else. Even after the past couple weeks where he had seen Harry sharing kisses with Marc (though it had only been occasionally he had caught them, because Harry wasn't keen on giving a show for everyone), he still couldn't get used to it.

He took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face when he joined his mother. Severus had walked away and was now cornered by McGonagall.

Mother looked up and smiled when she saw her son standing next to her. She touched his cheek quickly, like she had done to him when he was little.

"Draco, Sirius asked if we want to join him at the dinner. What do you think?" she suggested, her ice blue eyes glittering in the candlelight.

"I would like to," Draco replied smiling.

He thought Remus looked at him sharply, but when he glanced at the man, Remus was looking at Sirius, rolling his eyes at something the man said.

Harry joined them a couple of minutes later, his cheeks flushed and his emerald green eyes sparkling.

"Isn't Marc joining?" Remus asked him.

Harry shook his head. "He said he had to visit some family before he leaves for vacation, but we're going on a date the day before he departs." He looked at his godfather. "That's okay, right?"

Sirius shrugged. "Why not? As long as you're back before midnight, I don't have any problems with it."

"Thanks, Sirius," Harry smiled. Then he turned his attention to Draco. "Are you coming with us to the dinner?"

Draco perked up, happy to have Harry's attention back at him and nodded. "Yes, your godfather invited my mother and I," he replied smiling.

"Good," Harry grinned.

* * *

It was a week after the graduation. It was four p.m. and Harry was waiting in his room for Marc to arrive. They would go take a walk in the forest next to Marc's house and then hang around in his room.

Marc would be the one Apparating them, because Harry hadn't succeeded yet in Apparating. He had tried a few days ago in their backyard, but had to give up when he had started feeling dizzy and the urge to puke had risen up again.

He still had to run to the toilet every morning (and a few times throughout the day) and it was getting difficult hiding that from his godfather and Remus – especially because Remus had very strong senses. He couldn't wait for the puking to end. He was getting tired of it but he didn't want to go to a Healer just because he puked every morning.

He had been afraid that Remus would hear him getting sick or smelling it, but until now he seemed to have luck on his side, because the man hadn't said anything about it.

Harry just hoped he wouldn't get sick tonight. It was the last night before Marc would leave and he wanted no distractions. He would really miss his boyfriend, but it was only three weeks and then he would see him again. He would survive those three weeks – besides, he had Draco to distract him.

Harry perked up when he heard the doorbell ring and shot up; nervously tugging at the red shirt he was wearing. It was tighter than he normally wore, but Sirius had taken him shopping again a few days ago and had pushed several items of clothes in Harry's arms to try on. Harry had tried to protest – especially when Sirius had started paying for everything – but his godfather had shushed him, saying that he wanted to spoil his godson, now that he still had the chance. Having understood there was no winning against a determined Black, Harry had let Sirius buy him whatever he had thrown in his arms.

So tonight, he was wearing a red, short sleeved shirt with black pants and a silver belt. Even his old glasses were replaced by trendy ones with a silver frame.

He almost ran downstairs and when he reached the end of the staircase, he saw Marc waiting for him on the porch with Sirius joking with him.

"All right, I'll see you later, kiddo," Sirius grinned and ruffled the unruly, black hair. "Have fun." He winked.

Harry blushed. "Later, Sirius," he smiled and grabbed Marc's hand.

As soon as they walked past the anti-Apparation wards, Marc grabbed Harry's waist and Apparated them away.

They appeared in the middle of a small hill, covered with wild, red flowers and daisies. They walked for more than an hour, talking about everything that came up in their mind. They stopped to have a picnic and watched the slow sun setting.

Only when the sky turned light purple, did Marc Apparate them straight to his room.

Harry looked around nervously. He had never been in Marc's bedroom, let alone his house. A large bed with soft, creamy sheets was standing to the wall on Harry's left with a nightstand and a desk standing next to it. Opposite of the bed was the closet and a huge room through which the last beams of sunlight shone.

"Where are your parents?" Harry asked when his ears picked up nothing from other parts of the house.

Marc smiled. "They are visiting some friends so we have the house all to ourselves." He winked.

"That's good," Harry smiled nervously. Butterflies rose up in his stomach and he wondered why he was so nervous all of the sudden. He had been alone with Marc plenty of times before and he had always been fine then. So why was tonight different?

He startled a bit when Marc took his hand and led him to the bed. Marc sat down and pulled him right on his lap, his hands resting on Harry's hips.

"I'm going to miss you so much the next three weeks," Marc murmured and pressed his lips softly against Harry's.

"Hm, I'm going to miss you too," Harry sighed and slipped his arms around Marc's neck, kissing him back. He felt a tongue pushing against his closed lips and immediately opened his mouth, giving Marc access. Their tongues met and started to play with each other; caressing and sucking, each taking turns.

Harry moaned softly when Marc gave a particular hard suck on his tongue and kissed him harder, pushing his body closer to him, pressing their hips against the other ones.

Marc groaned approvingly and hands gripped his hips tighter, while Marc's mouth left his lips and trailed down towards his neck.

Harry panted and his eyes rolled back when Marc found his weak spot just above his collarbone and he mewled softly when the other bit him, immediately soothing the bite with his tongue.

Harry didn't register the fact that Marc had switched positions until his back touched the cool, soft sheets and he shivered lightly when the coolness hit the heated skin on his back where his shirt had risen up a bit.

He squirmed a bit when a too warm hand suddenly caressed his stomach and he opened his mouth to protest when that hand sneaked up and began to tweak his nipples, making him groan instead.

"God, Marc," Harry sighed and Marc smirked before claiming Harry's lips again. Feeling bold, Harry let one of his hands slip underneath Marc's dark T-shirt and caressed the abs he found, marveling at how soft Marc's skin was.

Marc showed his appreciation by pushing his hips down insistently, making Harry's hips move in reflex.

Feeling quite hot and bothered, Harry couldn't help but sigh in relief when his shirt was taken off so that his skin could cool off. A tremor went through his body when Marc's naked chest touched his own and he panted harder, sucking on Marc's lower lip.

Marc hummed and distracting his dark haired boyfriend with his tongue, he slowly slid his hands lower and lower until they reached the silver belt that kept him away from his price. Getting more excited when he felt Harry's response to his actions, he went to open the belt.

However, two quick hands stopped him and held his wrists, pulling them away from the belt.

He pulled back and panted, looking at Harry confused.

Harry was panting too – his cheeks were flushed, his hair in disarray and his eyes were sparkling like mad. He was obviously very excited so why had he stopped him? What was the problem?

"Harry, why …" he started confused, his brain still clouded with lust.

Harry shook his head and sat up, leaning against the headboard. "Not now, Marc," he replied breathlessly. From the moment he had felt Marc's hands on his belt, he had frozen up. He may be a virgin, but that didn't mean he didn't have a clue as to what Marc had been planning to do. And as much as Harry wanted him, he wasn't ready to have sex with Marc yet. It didn't feel right to do it on the night they were getting separated for a while.

"Why not now? Now is perfect; my parents aren't home, your godfather expects you home by midnight – we have plenty of time," Marc tried to convince Harry. He couldn't help but want Harry in every aspect he could think of. He had been content with just hugging, kissing and the occasional touching, but he wanted more now – much more. He had thought Harry wouldn't object to that. After all they were almost five months together.

It also didn't help that Harry had dressed himself extra nicely tonight. Marc had never seen him in such tight, fitting clothes – what else was he supposed to think when his boyfriend showed up like that, all sexy and hot?

Harry looked away, blushing. Not from want, but from embarrassment now. The flirty, hot mood between them had disappeared and was replaced by something heavy.

"I'm not ready," he replied, sighing.

He tensed when he felt warm hands touching his sides, caressing his skin.

"Are you sure? Maybe I can convince you?" Marc whispered and started sucking on a spot below Harry's ear, but was pushed away again.

"No, Marc, you're not going to convince me," Harry replied annoyed. "I don't want to go further."

Marc leaned back, huffing. "Then why did you dress up like that?" He waved his hands at Harry's discarded shirt and black pants. "And why did you let me go that far then, when you would just stop me when things started to get really good?"

Harry stared at him in disbelief. "I just put on a shirt and pants! I didn't dress up in a special way and especially not because I wanted sex! And yes, I liked what we were doing, but that doesn't automatically mean that I'm ready for more!"

"Ah come on, Harry. You would enjoy it, I'll make you feel so good," Marc tried again and reached out with his hand.

Harry slapped him away harshly and jumped off the bed, snatching his shirt of the floor and pulling it on. Anger flared up in his chest. How many times did he have to say no before it finally got through that he wasn't ready for more? He didn't want to have sex with Marc and he would really appreciate it if Marc would just accept that. Why was he being so pushy tonight?

"No! I said no, Marc!" he hissed, his green eyes flaring up in anger.

Marc stood up too, annoyance shining through on his face. "Don't be such a girl, Harry. It's only sex. We're boys for Merlin's sake! Why are you acting like such a prude?"

Harry felt as if he had been slapped in his face. _He was acting like a girl? He was a prude?_ _It was only sex?_

"What did you say?" he hissed furiously.

Only then did Marc realize how stupid he had been. "Please, Harry, I didn't mean that, you know that," he pleaded and wanted to hug, him but was pushed away again – this time harder.

"Just because I won't open my legs for you, I'm a girl and a prude? God, you're such an asshole!" Harry growled. "I can't believe I didn't see this sooner."

He turned around and walked away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Marc asked worriedly and hurried after him.

Harry whirled around, his whole body trembling in fury. He was hurt by Marc's reaction; why was sex that important to him? He had never said anything about it before. "I'm going home!"

"Then come here so that I can Apparate you home," Marc pleaded.

"Fuck no! I'm going to ask Sirius to pick me up."

"I'm really sorry, Harry, can't we start over again? I'll promise I'll behave," Marc said hopefully.

"Do you honestly think I'm still in the mood to stay here?" Harry asked sharply. "Enjoy your holiday, Marc."

He immediately turned around and raced downstairs, hoping he would find a door leading outside soon. Lady Luck was with him, because when he crossed the hallway he reached a door and when he twisted the knob, he arrived at the porch. Not giving Marc a chance to catch up with him, he ran out of the street, searching through his pockets for the mobile phone that Sirius had gotten him as soon as he had learned about the device.

He pushed the buttons harshly and leaned against a tree, waiting for the dial tone to end and for someone to pick up.

"Hello, Harry?" Remus answered surprised.

"Remus, can you come get me?" Harry asked in a small voice. He hated depending on Remus for help, but he really wanted to get away from here now.

"Did something happen, cub?" Remus asked immediately concerned.

Harry swallowed with difficulty. "I just had a fight with Marc. I just want to go home."

"Okay, I'm going to get you. Where are you now?"

Looking around, Harry spotted the name of the street and gave Remus the address.

Ten seconds later the man was standing a few feet away from him.

Remus took one look at Harry's pale face and immediately hugged him. "Let's go home. You can tell me everything there."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm, for this chapter there are no specific warnings except some foul language
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 4**

They Apparated on the path leading to the house. Feeling his cub's shoulders tremble with suppressed sobs, Remus hastily led him inside the house, grateful that Sirius had already gone to bed. He had a feeling it would be nasty if Sirius found out that Harry had had a fight with Marc – after all Harry was Sirius' godson and all who hurt him, got hurt by Sirius.

"Come on, let's go to the living room," Remus muttered and grabbed his wand to light up the fireplace.

Immediately the logs were engulfed in fire and it made a soothing, crackling sound, spreading the warmth and creating enough light for the two men to find their way to the couch without tripping or bumping against furniture.

Remus sat down next to Harry, who refused to look up from his shoulder.

"Dobby?" he called out. Dobby was still working in the kitchens of Hogwarts, but he had sworn he would always appear if either Remus, Sirius or Harry called him, because he was Harry Potter's friend and he wanted to do nothing more than serve his friend and his family.

The two remaining Marauders hadn't complained about that, considering Kreacher wasn't exactly ideal as house elf with his constant muttering about 'dirty, ungrateful little bastards and filthy monsters and halfbloods'. Sirius had been all too happy to leave Kreacher at the Black's house and buy himself a new home, inviting his friend and godson to live with him.

With a loud pop, Dobby appeared in front of them, a huge stack of knitted caps on his head. "What can I do for best friend Harry Potter and nice Mister Remus Lupin?" Dobby squeaked, his huge eyes staring at Harry in worry when the boy didn't look up.

"Can we get some hot chocolate, Dobby?" Remus requested, rubbing over Harry's back soothingly.

"Of course, Dobby will get hot chocolate for nice Remus Lupin and nice Harry Potter," the house elf chirped and popped away, only to appear again five seconds later with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate in his large, knobby hands. "Here is hot chocolate, sir," Dobby told him and placed the mugs on the coffee table. "Can I get nice mister and Harry Potter something else? Snack?" he asked, wringing his hands in worry. "Is Harry Potter okay?"

"Harry will be fine, Dobby," Remus assured the elf. "And that is all, thank you."

Dobby bowed and smiled and popped away again.

"Harry, here, drink this," Remus coaxed the boy and handed over the mug.

Harry hiccupped a bit and accepted the mug with a little tremble in his hands. "Thanks," he muttered and took a sip.

"So," Remus hesitated, not really sure how to ask his question, "are you ready to talk about your fight?"

Harry rubbed over his tired, stinging eyes. "It was something stupid," he mumbled embarrassed. He couldn't believe he had freaked out like that.

Remus just looked at him, not relenting.

Harry sighed and gave up, knowing that he wouldn't leave this room without giving the man a reasonable explanation. "Marc and I went to his room after the picnic, because his parents weren't home," he sighed and leant back, refusing to look in the golden coloured eyes that were looking at him intently. "We did a bit of … fooling around." He blushed and cleared his throat. "But then he wanted more and I stopped him. He kept trying to go further and I got mad and ran away." He sighed again and stared at the fire.

Remus sat very tense on the couch, trying to restrain himself from marching up to that Marc and give him a good hexing – or pummeling. Maybe both. Yes, hexing him and beating the shit out of that guy would feel so good. But he couldn't. If he did that, he would be arrested by the Ministry and because he was still considered a Dark creature because of his werewolf status, he would probably get the Kiss. At times like these he really hated his werewolf blood. He couldn't even send Sirius to Marc, because he was still being watched by the Ministry. He had gotten a pardon and a huge bag of money to keep it quiet that the Ministry had refused him a proper trial, but they had warned him they would watch him for at least five years in case he did something illegal. Remus had a feeling that hexing the boyfriend of his godson would be considered illegal.

"Remus?" Harry asked hesitatingly when the man just kept glaring at the opposite wall with clenched hands.

Remus took a deep breath and tried to calm down. He would like nothing more than to hurt that Marc for hurting his cub, but he couldn't do anything and that frustrated him immensely.

"I'm just glad you got away before he could really hurt you," he said through clenched teeth and wrapped his arms around his cub, hugging him to his chest, rubbing his back.

"It's just …" Harry paused and laid his head on Remus' shoulder. "He never went this far before. He always stopped on time; I don't understand why he didn't want to listen now."

Remus had a fair suspicion as to why Marc had went this far now; he had had Harry all alone to himself with no one to interrupt him; in contrast to the time at Hogwarts where they always had the risk they got interrupted. This still didn't excuse him, because he should have listened to Harry when he told him no. Remus could feel the hot burn of fury flaring up again and he did his best to stomp that down. Until he knew a safe way to punish Marc, he would have to stay calm, lest he did something stupid.

"You did well by walking away from him," Remus muttered. _Hexing him would have been better,_ he thought absentmindedly. "What are you going to do now?"

Harry blinked confused and sat up straight, forcing Remus to loosen his hug. "What do you mean 'what am I going to do now?'"

"Are you going to give him another chance?" Remus asked softly, frowning.

Harry shifted uneasily on the couch, glancing away from the man he considered his second godfather. To be honest, he didn't have a clue as to what he should do now with Marc. On one hand he didn't know whether he could trust Marc to stop when it happened another time, considering he didn't listen now, but was it really worth it to give up on his relationship for one fight?   
Couples fought, that wasn't something you could avoid; there was no one that could say his or her relationship was perfect, without any fights. Fights were inevitable in a relationship. But respect for each other and listening to each other were things that you needed in a relationship too.

Harry bit his lip and rubbed his forehead. He was developing a nasty headache from thinking about all that. Did he have to make a decision now? Even if he made one, it would be too late to tell Marc about it, because he left tomorrow early for his vacation in Greece and Harry himself left as well for three weeks with the Malfoys and his godparents to the Cote d'Azur. Maybe it was better if he waited until he saw Marc again in three weeks to tell him his decision; they would both be calm enough to talk rationally.

Harry nodded absentmindedly; yes, he would not decide tonight about his relationship. He had enough time to do that later; three weeks should be enough to clear his head and make a good decision.

"I don't know," he finally muttered to Remus' question. "I'm still thinking about it. I have three weeks to decide what I'll do. Can I go to bed now? I'm tired," he sighed.

Remus nodded slowly. "Yes, of course, go on. Good night."

Harry gave him a quick hug. "Good night, Remus." With a last wave, he left the room and dragged his tired body upstairs to his room.

On automatic pilot he undressed and redressed in a black T-shirt and his boxers and crawled in his cool bed with a sigh.

Sirius had left the curtains and the window open and a soft, cool breeze made the curtains sway gently, creating shadows on the walls. The light from the street lanterns created a soft, light orange glow in the room and Harry turned on his side, sprawling himself over his bed with both his arms underneath his pillow and closed his eyes, falling asleep to the gentle hum of the traffic a few blocks away from the house.

* * *

Remus frowned and tapped with his fingers on his knee. He'd rather want to hear that Harry was planning to dump Marc, than thinking about it. He understood that one fight didn't mean you had to automatically break up with each other, but in this case the fight wasn't about something stupid like an important date forgotten. Marc hadn't wanted to listen when Harry told him no and had Harry been anything else than stubborn and able to stand up for himself, Marc would have gone further without waiting for Harry's permission. It could have been only this one time and maybe Marc realized now that he couldn't mess around with Harry and think he got away with everything and be genuinely sorry for his actions, but what if it didn't stay with this one time? What if he tried to go further against Harry's wishes another time when Harry forgave him? Would Harry keep forgiving him until one day he really went too far?

Remus took a deep breath and leant back in the couch. He pitched his nose and closed his eyes. It wouldn't do to start panicking already. Harry had said he would think about it. Even if he forgave Marc, Harry would be smart enough to not let his guard down another time. If Harry decided to forgive the boy and give him another chance, then Remus just had to make sure he would warn Marc in case he tried it again. Nobody got away with hurting his cub; he would make sure that Marc got that message.

With a sigh he stood up and stretched, groaning silently when he heard his bones pop. He grimaced and rubbed his face. He extinguished the fire and at once the room went dark, the light of the street lanterns the only source of light for Remus.

Slowly he walked up the stairs and paused in front of Harry's bedroom, satisfied when he heard the soft breathing of the boy in the room; a sign he was asleep.

He walked further and when he reached Sirius' room, the door flew open and his arm was grabbed hastily, dragging him in the room.

He blinked when he landed in the bright room and shook his head. "Sirius, what the hell? I thought you were asleep?" he muttered annoyed and rubbed the sore spot on his arm where Sirius had grabbed him.

Sirius huffed and sat down in the middle of his bed, pointing his finger at the space in front of him. "Did you seriously think I would go to sleep as long as Harry wasn't home? Sit down; I want to talk to you."

Remus rolled his eyes, but sat down, crossing his legs and leaning back on his hands. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked suspiciously. Had Sirius heard his talk with Harry?

Dark grey eyes glared at him and Sirius' mouth was set in a tight line. "What happened to Harry? Did he fight with Marc?"

"How did you know something happened?" Remus furrowed his eyebrows, sitting up straight.

Sirius rolled his eyes impatiently, waving his hand. "I may not have the hearing of a werewolf, but surely you remember that my Animagus is a dog. Dogs have sharp hearing too you know. I couldn't hear what exactly was wrong, but I know that Harry was upset when he called you and you left quickly after his call. What happened?" he asked, leaning forward, his half long hair forming a curtain around his head.

Remus pursed his lips. Sirius was as impulsive as he was in his younger years, so he had to be careful with how he told him the news if he wanted to make sure that the Ministry didn't throw him back in Azkaban for real murder this time. "Harry and Marc had a fight," he began slowly, thinking over his words carefully. Sirius tensed and looked ready to pounce. "Marc decided that it was time that they took their relationship a step further and Harry refused. Marc was stupid to try and convince Harry to go further and Harry left angrily, calling me to pick him up."

Sirius clenched his hands tightly on his knees and his whole body shook with repressed anger. "How far did he manage to go?" he asked through clenched teeth, his mind going over all the dark spells his parents had forced him to use. Would it be overkill if he used them on that stupid boy?

"Not far," Remus hurried to reassure his best friend. He quickly grabbed the trembling hands to avoid Sirius from storming out the house. "Before he could really try anything, Harry left. Nothing seriously happened. Harry was just upset, because Marc didn't want to listen."

Sirius breathed heavily through his nose and Remus was surprised there wasn't smoke coming out of his ears. "That son of a bitch," he hissed and would have jumped up if not for Remus who gripped his wrists tightly. "Let me go!"

"No!" Remus said forcefully and his golden coloured eyes bored down into the dark grey ones. "If you go to Marc now, you're going to regret what you're going to do to him."

"I sure as hell won't regret cursing him," Sirius growled and struggled harder.

"Maybe not regret cursing him, but you will definitely regret it when the Ministry throws your arse back in Azkaban," Remus snapped.

Sirius glared at him hotly as if to blame him for his predicament, but didn't struggle anymore and relaxed his tense muscles.

Remus only let him go when he was certain that Sirius wouldn't try to escape again.

"But we can't let him get away with this." Sirius glared at the window. "Did Harry break up with him? Please tell me he broke up with that asshole."

Remus grimaced and his hands fell down on the bed. "He told me he had to think about it. Anyway he has three weeks until he sees Marc again, so he'll be able to decide with a clear head what he's going to do."

Sirius huffed and leant back against the headboard. "He has to dump him," he said gravely. "That bastard will probably try again next time he has the chance."

"We have to let Harry decide what he wants to do," Remus repeated and then smirked viciously, sparking an interest in Sirius. "But whatever he decides, nothing can stop us from warning Marc what will happen if he hurts Harry again."

Sirius smirked in response. "I like that idea."

"I thought you would," Remus replied smugly. His eyes glanced at the tall grandfather clock standing in the corner. "I think it's time we went to sleep. I don't think Narcissa will be happy if we arrive late at the manor."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Relax, Cissa won't hurt us. She likes Harry too much." He snorted when he remembered the Christmas holidays where Narcissa had smothered Harry in her motherly hugs whenever she had the chance, claiming he was such a cute boy. Sirius didn't think Harry had ever been so red in his life. Draco couldn't stop laughing whenever Harry got caught in Narcissa's arms.

Remus stood up. "You never know," he muttered darkly and slipped out of the room before Sirius could form a response.

The dark haired man shook his head amused and dumped his shirt and pants on the floor, climbing in bed with only his boxers on. He grabbed his wand and extinguished the lights, leaving the room completely dark. He turned on his stomach and blew a few strands of his hair out of his face and fell asleep, dreaming of all the different ways he could torture Marc and getting away with it.

His mother would have been so proud if she knew about his dreams.

* * *

Green eyes blinked blearily when the first sunlight of the day hit the boy's face. Groggily Harry sat up and leant forwards with his arms on his crossed legs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His dreams had consisted of nonsense mostly - being locked up in a dark house with snakes loose, then suddenly running through streets with someone following him. His clothes stuck to his sweaty body and he wrinkled his nose at the smell.

Yawning, Harry stretched and went back to lying on his back, but a wave of nausea hit him without warning and he jumped out of bed, running to the adjoined bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to see his dinner of the past day coming up again. He grabbed the edge of the toilet and threw up, his eyes pricking at the sour smell.

After three minutes he was finally done and he slumped back against wall, flushing the toilet before dropping his arms weakly on the ground.

"Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me?" he groaned and stared at the blurry ceiling, only now realizing that he hadn't put on his glasses. He waited a few more minutes, but when the urge to retch didn't appear again, he slowly sat up, grimacing.

Still feeling queasy, he carefully shuffled over to the vague white blur he could barely make out, assuming it was the washbasin. His hands felt around and he sighed relieved when he found the tap, pushing on it to get the cold water running. He formed with his hands a bowl and let them fill with nice cold, soothing water before splashing it in his face, waking him up fully. He grabbed his cup and filled that with water to rinse his mouth. He didn't want to walk around any longer with the foul taste of sour bile in his mouth.

After brushing his teeth harshly, he made his way out of the bathroom, making sure not to walk into his desk. He found his glasses on his nightstand and put them on, blinking when the room finally came into focus. He sighed when he saw that it was eight a.m. and decided that a nice shower would be the best way to start the day.

Rummaging through his closet to find some comfortable clothes, he only realized that they would leave to the Malfoy manor when he noticed his packed suitcases standing innocently at the foot of his bed. How could he have missed those?

Harry shook his head and reentered the bathroom, dumping his clothes on the chair and stripping off his sweat soaked T-shirt and boxer before stepping in the shower.

While the water was running over his body, he absentmindedly started to latter his hair with the lemon scented shampoo and thought back to his retching session. His nausea lasted for a few weeks now and it still didn't want to disappear. He had no clue to what was happening with him; if he was sick, then why didn't he feel nauseous all the time? Or had a fever or anything else that would indicate what kind of sickness he had managed to acquire. The nausea was getting quite annoying and it was tiring him out. So far he had his throwing up sessions mostly in the morning, when he just had woken up, though he had had it something during the day too, hitting him without any warning.

It didn't even matter what he ate the night before, because it happened every morning regardless of the type of dinner he had consumed the night before.

Harry frowned and started to soap his body in. Maybe he should ask Remus or Sirius for a potion. The thought hadn't gone away yet, or he already dismissed it. There was no way he would worry his godparents unnecessarily. If he asked for a potion, they would want to know what was wrong with him and if they heard he had no clue, they would start worrying. He really didn't want them to worry about him and decided to just keep quiet about his nausea. He was certain it would pass eventually and if it didn't disappear within a month he would order an anti-nausea potion.

Satisfied with his decision, he rinsed his body off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around him.

"Harry, it's time for breakfast!" Sirius yelled from downstairs.

Harry sighed and slipped into his black T-shirt and light blue jeans. It was no use to relax a bit more in his bed, because Sirius would come jumping in his room as Padfoot if he didn't go downstairs in a few minutes. Two mornings being woken up with dog spit all over his face was enough for him; he didn't need a repeat of that.

When he grabbed his silver belt, he stopped abruptly when his eyes caught sight of the photo frame standing on his desk. It was of him and Marc, hugging each other at the lake of Hogwarts.

He blinked the few tears away and harshly tugged at his belt. It was no use to think of Marc and what had happened yesterday; he would enjoy his vacation and he would decide at the end of his holiday what he would do. No need to make big decisions now.

He rubbed over his face and ranked his hand through his hair, making his way downstairs.

The sound of pans clattering against each other and plates being set on the table made him speed up a bit, suddenly feeling hungry.

The kitchen was bright with the early sunlight and Remus stood at the stove, flipping over pancakes with his wand while Sirius was seated at the table, looking through the Daily Prophet uninterested. Since the defeat of Voldemort, the newspaper hadn't much news to tell, except for the few articles about Death Eaters who had escaped during the fight and who were now being searched. There was an article about some new law about the breeding of dangerous animals and the usual rumors about the celebrity.

"You're in the newspaper, Prongslet," Sirius mentioned absentmindedly, nodding his thanks when Remus gave him a cup of coffee.

Harry blinked and sat down, reaching for the sugar to sweeten his own cup of coffee. He couldn't understand how Sirius could manage to drink his black. "Oh, what is it now?"

"Just a short article where they are speculating whether or not you're going to apply for Auror training." Sirius shrugged. "Apparently they are keeping a tab on the list with the new trainees."

"Are they allowed to do that?" Harry frowned and smiled when Remus directed a plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Officially they are not allowed to do that, but when has that ever stopped the press?" Remus replied drily.

"Good point," Harry muttered.

"You know we leave in half an hour?" Remus reminded Harry who nodded.

"I didn't forget."

"Good, I suspect Draco wouldn't appreciate it if you were late," Remus replied idly.

Harry and Sirius frowned. "Wouldn't it be Narcissa who would be angry if we were late?" Harry asked bewildered.

"Draco is the impatient one of the two." Remus shrugged and turned around to get his own pancakes.

Harry blinked confused, but shrugged. He looked up when he felt eyes burning in the side of his head and was surprised to discover it was Sirius who was looking at him intently.

"Eh, is there something on my face?" Harry asked uncertainly and just in case, he wiped with a napkin over his cheeks.

Sirius blinked and laughed. "No, no, nothing on your face. Just eat."

The boy shook his head and went back to his breakfast.

* * *

They arrived at the gates of Malfoy manor half an hour later, their suitcases standing next to them.

Either Narcissa or Draco had noticed their arrival or simply assumed they would be on time, because four house elves appeared, opening the gate. Three of them grabbed the suitcases – the bags were larger than the creatures – and the fourth one led them inside the grand hall where Narcissa and Draco were waiting for them.

Narcissa was dressed in a simple white dress that reached her ankles with a thin, silver necklace adorning her neck and a silver bracelet with a single blue stone wrapped around her right wrist. Her hair was pulled up in a bun; a few strands left out and curled around her face. She looked smaller than Harry remembered and it was only when he looked at her feet that he realized she wore flat, white shoes, explaining the sudden difference in height.

Draco was dressed in a button up, white shirt and blue jeans and was standing next to his mother. He smiled and his grey eyes lit up in excitement when Harry came up to them.

"Good morning, Harry," Narcissa greeted the boy and gave him a hug, letting him smell her flowery perfume.

Harry smiled and hugged her back; he liked to imagine that this was how it would have felt like if his own mother had hugged him. "Good morning, Narcissa," he greeted back.

She released him and greeted Sirius and Remus who smiled back.

"Did you get a good night sleep?" Draco asked, brushing his hand against Harry's arm.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, no nightmares," he replied. "You?"

"I can't complain." Draco winked.

"Draco, Harry, the Portkey will activate in twenty seconds," Narcissa warned the boys.

They looked up and saw the adults holding a golden cup with green jewels around the edge. Harry and Draco quickly grabbed the cup too, just in time to feel the tug in their stomach.

The manor disappeared in a bright flash and colours were swirling around them quickly, making Harry dizzy.

They landed on a dark wooden floor and Harry fell on his knees, gasping for air, holding his stomach when a wave of nausea hit him. He groaned, _not again_ , he thought desperately.

He felt hands rubbing his back and a blond head touched his forehead.

"Harry, what's wrong?" a voice asked, sounding like Draco.

Harry shook his head, clamping his mouth shut with one hand, squeezing his eyes shut, willing his stomach to settle down. A second pair of hands joined the other pair on his back.

"Prongslet, are you sick?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"I think he's nauseous." He heard Draco replying. "Do you need the bathroom?"

Harry breathed heavily through his nose. "No, I think it passed," he muttered embarrassed after a few minutes when he was certain his stomach wouldn't protest.

A glass filled with water entered his vision. "Here, drink that; it will settle your stomach," the soothing voice of Remus told him.

Gratefully Harry accepted the glass and relished in the way the cool liquid slipped down his throat, soothing his stomach.

"Feeling better?" Draco asked softly.

Harry sighed, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. "Yeah, sorry, I don't know why I got so nauseous," he apologized, handing back the glass and sitting up straight.

"Don't worry about it," Narcissa assured him. She had taken a seat on a lime green couch. "Sometimes a portkey can cause nausea."

Sirius and Draco helped him stand up and Harry looked around. They had apparently landed in the living room. Aside from the lime green couch big enough for three people, there were two other chairs in the same colour standing at each side of the couch. Two white and large bookcases were placed across from the sitting area and were filled with large and small books. A large window on Harry's right showed him the view of a beach with the sparkling sea. Next to the window was a door that stood open and the salty smell of the sea was carried through it together with the sound of seagulls. On Harry's right were two doors, one open showing a small hallway and a brown staircase and the other one closed.

"Your suitcases have already been brought to your rooms," Narcissa smiled, folding her hands on her lap. "The kitchen is next to the hallway; a house elf is already there preparing our lunch. If you want, you can unpack your suitcases now and go to the beach afterwards."

Draco smiled and nodded. Harry smiled in agreement and made his way out of the living room, leaving the three adults to fend for themselves while Draco followed behind him.

They had each gotten separated rooms and for the next couple of minutes Harry was admiring his room. The walls were painted a soft white and the bed was large enough for two people to sleep in. It was a four-poster bed and the sheets were a soft blue, looking very invitingly. The bed was placed across from the door and the wardrobe was placed next to the window. His two suitcases were waiting for him in front of the bed and he rolled his shoulders before walking over to them and opening the first one. His nausea had disappeared for which he was grateful for, because he really didn't want to spend his first day of his vacation in bed sick.

He had just finished unpacking his first suitcase and had just started on the second one, when the door opened and Draco walked in, sitting down on his bed.

"You need help?" he offered.

Harry looked up frowning. "How come you already finished unpacking? You had more suitcases than I. Which reminds me - who needs five suitcases for a three week during holiday?" he snorted.

Draco looked at him haughtily. "You never know what can happen. As for your other question," he grinned, "I just used magic of course. Did you forget I'm seventeen now and can use my magic freely?"

Harry groaned and slapped his forehead. "Fuck, I forgot about that. How could I've been so stupid?" he grumbled, scowling at his own unpacked suitcase.

Draco laughed. "Well, you need help?"

Harry pouted and nodded. The blond boy snickered and pointed his wand at the suitcases, murmuring four spells in a rapid order, too fast for Harry to follow.

While the clothes were being folded in the right way and placed in the wardrobe, Draco saw his chance to question Harry about his date with Marc.

"So, Harry, how did your date with Marc go?" he asked idly, inwardly simmering with anger. He couldn't care less about the date, but he had a duty as best friend to question Harry about the details.

Immediately Harry's face darkened and he plopped down on the chair in front of the mahony desk, placed underneath the windowsill. His mouth was set in a tight line and his posture was tense, making Draco tense as well. He frowned and looked at Harry; had the date been that bad?

"Harry, what happened?" he asked softly, leaning forwards, never once taking his eyes of his crush.

Harry sighed and ranked a hand through his black, unruly hair in annoyance. "It didn't go well," he admitted sourly.

Draco furrowed his eyebrows and moved closer to Harry, sitting at the end of the bed, close enough to touch the other boy's knees. "Harry, what went wrong? I thought you were excited for the date?" He swallowed the bitterness away. This wasn't the time to let his bitterness and grudge against Marc shown. Harry needed him to listen now and not tell him his own opinion about his relationship with Marc.

He saw Harry swallow nervously and without thinking, he grabbed Harry's hand, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin.

Harry looked at him surprised, but smiled weakly. "Well, we had a picnic in the forest near his house," he started, not sure whether he should tell Draco about the disastrous date. Having Remus angry at his behalf had been enough – he didn't need to spoil Draco's vacation too. One look at the blond's face however showed him he wouldn't get away with not telling him about the date, just like Remus hadn't let him get away with not saying anything. He both loved and thought their worry about him annoying.

"Did the food taste like crap?" Draco asked lightly when Harry didn't say anything for a few minutes.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "No, the food was good." He paused again and took a deep breath. "After the picnic we went to his house and straight to his room, because his parents weren't home." He shifted uncomfortably, not wanting to say what had occurred next.

Sharp, grey eyes stared at him unwaveringly. "What happened?"

"We started … fooling around." Harry blushed a bit, feeling it awkward to tell his best friend what he did with his boyfriend. He thought Draco would have felt awkward too, but the ex-Slytherin just kept staring at him, silently urging him to continue. "Well, after a while, he wanted to go further and I stopped him." He felt Draco tensing. "But he tried to convince me to have sex with him and when I refused again, he asked me what the big deal was, because we were both guys and it was just sex." He swallowed the lump in his throat and tears pricked in his eyes again. He blinked furiously, not wanting to burst into tears in front of Draco. "I got angry and left the house and called Remus to pick me up."

"Oh Harry," Draco sighed and suddenly Harry was surrounded by strong arms, hugging him to a hard, warm chest. "I'm so sorry to hear that he was such an asshole." Draco's voice was muffled and Harry awkwardly hugged him back, though it felt nice to have Draco hugging him. "He doesn't deserve you."

Harry laughed weakly and didn't reply. He felt Draco ushering him to stand up and before he fully realized it, he was led to the bed and Draco sat down next to him keeping his arms around him.

"It's just that he never tried anything before," Harry muttered, rubbing in his eyes. "I don't understand why he was so pushy now."

Draco was silent for a bit until he asked, "Do you want me to hex his balls off? He wouldn't be able to be pushy again if I do that," he offered.

Harry laughed and sat up straight, making Draco drop his arms. "Thanks for the offer, but no thank you."

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, idly stroking his wand.

Shaking his head, Harry chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Too bad," the blond boy sighed dejectedly and put away his wand in his back pocket. He would have loved to hex Marc's balls off and his dick too – just to ensure he couldn't try it ever again. "Did you break up with him then?" Draco asked neutrally, masking the hopeful tone in his voice. It wouldn't do to betray his real feelings now. Harry would need the time to get over Marc before he could accept Draco's feelings. He wouldn't be the rebound guy.

Harry sighed wearily. "No, I'm still thinking about it," he mumbled, looking away.

Draco scowled. "What's to think about that? He was a pushy asshole and he doesn't deserve you. Dump his pathetic arse I'd say."

"Draco, please, I need to think about it," Harry pleaded.

Draco wasn't pleased with Harry's answer. How could Harry think about that? Marc had wanted to force himself on him and he still thought about giving that bastard a chance? Wasn't he in his right mind?

_You're one to talk_ , a sneaky voice piped up in the back of his head. _You're the one who drugged him and had sex with him a couple of months ago without him remembering it. What does that make of you?_

Draco conveniently ignored the little voice, refusing to think about it. It was in the past now and he couldn't change it now so it was no use mulling it over.

"But," he started to protest but stopped when he saw Harry's pleading face. Damn it, but he could never object to whatever Harry wanted if he pulled that face. He was as putty in the dark haired boy's hands.

"Can't we just drop it for now and go to the beach? We came here to relax after all," Harry pleaded.

"Fine, I drop it. For now," Draco warned him and Harry nodded hastily, already happy to not talk about it now.

* * *

They spent their days lounging on the beach and swimming in the cool water, occasionally dragging Remus or Sirius in the sea with them. Narcissa was happy to stay under the sunshade, reading one of her many books. Whenever she did venture out in the sun, she always put on a hat to protect her blonde hair and sunglasses that hid most of her face.

Harry had blushed when he saw Narcissa sunbathing in only a white bikini. She still had the figure of a teenage girl and no one could deny she was attractive. Harry wasn't attracted in that way to her, but he wasn't blind either. It was obvious that Draco had gotten most of his good looks from his mother.

Draco himself spent most of his time only dressed in boxers, showing his muscled chest for all who wanted to watch.

It had been pretty awkward when Harry had caught himself staring at Draco's half naked body, fascinated and feeling the urge to run his fingers over the abs. He had slapped his cheeks hard when that happened and he had sworn to himself that he wasn't attracted to his best friend and he still had a boyfriend waiting for him.

Draco was very hot and undeniably attractive, but that didn't mean that Harry was suddenly crushing on him. He had just noticed how nice Draco's body was, but that didn't mean anything.

Halfway through their vacation an owl had arrived with a letter for Harry. His heart had skipped a beat when he had recognized Marc's fine handwriting and he had excused himself from dinner, hurrying up to his room to read the letter. Remus had looked at him concerned, but had let him go without stopping him.

Closing the door behind him, Harry leant back, breathing quickly. He hadn't expected Marc to write him, especially not after their fight.

With trembling hands, he opened the letter and bit his lip, starting to read it.

' _Dear Harry_

_I want to say how sorry I am for pushing you when you made it clear you didn't want to go further. I should have stopped the minute you said no and shouldn't have pushed you and definitely shouldn't have insulted you by calling you a prude._

_I'm really sorry, Harry and I hope you can forgive me and give me another chance. I promise it won't happen again, I swear it. Your godfather has the permission to curse me if I ever hurt you again – I'm sure he'll like to do that._

_I'm also sorry I didn't write you sooner, but this is the first time I finally got time alone without my parents interfering. And it was really hard to find an owl willing to fly to France._

_I will understand it if you want to break up, but I hope you will at least think about it._

_I'll be waiting for you when I come back. I love you, Harry._

_All my love_

_Marc'_

Harry placed the letter down on his desk and rubbed the few stray tears away from his cheeks. It was thoughtful and sweet of Marc to send him an apology letter. He could tell Marc was genuinely sorry for his behaviour on their last night together. Maybe he should give him another chance? It only happened once after all. Marc had sworn he wouldn't push him again. And it wasn't as if Harry couldn't defend himself.

Chewing on his lower lip, he absently traced with his finger over the the words 'I love you'. They had been happy for five months now – was he willing to give that up just because Marc made one mistake?

Harry slowly breathed out and stared out of the window in thought. If he had to be honest he had to admit he missed Marc. He missed his jokes and his calming laughter, he missed his sparkling, brown eyes and he missed the general calm feeling he got when he was around him. One more chance wouldn't hurt, right? And if Marc lied and tried to push him for sex again, he would dump him straight away.

Harry nodded, yes, one more chance wouldn't hurt. He smiled and reread the letter, loving the fact that Marc had told him he loved him.

* * *

Draco was not happy. In fact he was furious. Harry had came bouncing in his room just an hour ago, his green eyes sparkling and a giant smile on his face, telling him that Marc had written an apology to him and swore he would never hurt Harry again. Harry had decided to give that asshole another chance and Draco didn't know whether he should scream from fury or cry from frustration. He had been so close, so close to have Harry single again and it was all ripped away from him again.

He had thought Harry had decided to break up with Marc, especially after the times he caught the boy watching him when he was on the beach half naked.

He didn't understand why Harry gave that jerk another chance; Harry was smart and he had dumped the Weasel as soon as it became clear that the orange dunderhead wanted nothing more than to harm him. But a boy who pushed him for sex and had hurt him by ignoring his wishes, he gave that boy another chance? What was going on in that boy's head?

_You could be asking yourself the same thing_ , the annoying voice popped up again. _You forced him too. What you did was even worse, considering he doesn't even remember you fucking him. You're not in the position to say something about someone else._

Merlin, he really hated that voice.

Greatly annoyed he stood up. He would talk to Harry and try to let him see that forgiving that son of a bitch was a very stupid thing to do.

"Harry, we need to talk," he started, but stopped when he noticed that his friend wasn't in his room. He looked around confused and walked out again. He wanted to go downstairs when he suddenly heard a sound coming from the bathroom.

Narrowing his eyes, he crossed the hallway and knocked on the door. "Hello? Harry, are you in there?"

The sound of retching was his answer and he got worried, pulling at the door knob, cursing when the door didn't budge. He grabbed his wand and muttered a quick 'Alohomora' and immediately walked in, his eyes zeroing in on the small figure leaning over the toilet.

In a few strides he was next to Harry and he bent down, rubbing the young man's back, knowing he couldn't do anything else until Harry got whatever it was out of his system.

After a minute, Harry sagged down against the wall, his pale face sweaty and his whole frame trembling. Draco quickly conjured a glass of water and handed it to Harry, meanwhile wetting a washcloth and pressing it against Harry's forehead and neck, making the young man moan softly.

"That feels good," he murmured in a raspy voice and winced.

"Did you eat something bad?" Draco asked worriedly, pressing the cooler side of the cloth against Harry's skin.

Harry sighed and let his head thump against the wall. "I don't know. I think so," he muttered, closing his eyes.

Narrowing his eyes, Draco leant forwards until his face was very close to Harry's. "Did you get sick before this?"

The hesitating look on Harry's face was enough answer for him.

"Have you taken an anti nausea potion?" he asked, caressing the sweaty, black locks.

Harry shook his head grimacing. "No, I haven't."

"Why haven't you? How long are you nauseous? Do Black and Lupin know?" Draco asked in one breath.

"I never got my hands on a potion and no, they don't know." He opened one green eye. "What does it matter how long I have been nauseous?"

"Harry," Draco said warningly and grabbed his wrist.

"All right, a couple of weeks already," Harry muttered, not having the strength to fight against Draco. "It happens mostly in the morning, but sometimes I have to puke during the day too, like now." He sighed.

"If this has been going on for weeks now, then why didn't you go to a Healer?" Draco asked frustrated, not liking seeing his crush so weak. His hand had slipped from the soft hair to Harry's soft cheeks and started caressing his cheek.

Harry closed his eyes again at feeling the soft, feathery touch and sighed. "I just don't see the point. So I get sick a few times, no big deal," he muttered annoyed.

"Harry, puking out your guts every morning for the last couple of weeks is a big deal. You need to get yourself checked," Draco replied angrily. "I'm going to tell your godfather that you're sick and need to visit a hospital," he continued and wanted to stand up, but was halted by a hand on his wrist. He looked down in emerald green eyes that were sparkling furiously.

"You're not going to tell Sirius about my nausea," he hissed, surprisingly fiery for someone who had been retching a minute ago.

"Harry, it's not normal that you've been sick for the past couple of weeks. You need a check-up," Draco insisted, kneeling down in front of him.

Harry just kept shaking his head. He sat up on his knees and braced himself by grabbing Draco's arms. "Listen, you're only going to worry Remus and Sirius when you tell them about my nausea. They don't need that."

"Harry, they are your family; it's natural for them to worry about you, if you get sick," Draco huffed impatiently.

"Draco, if you dare to rat me out, I won't speak to you ever again," Harry swore, his hands tightening his grip.

Draco stared at him shocked. "You would throw our friendship away for something like that?" he asked weakly. He would have thought Harry was joking if not for the furious glint in the green eyes and the set jaw. Harry was serious about his threat.

"Draco, promise me you won't tell them anything," Harry pleaded, his fury disappearing like snow in the sun.

Draco stared at him hesitatingly. Harry looked really desperate for him to keep his mouth shut and he was fighting with himself about what would be the best choice - telling Black and risk losing Harry's trust or keeping his mouth shut and possibly endanger Harry's life if he was seriously ill? What would be the worst choice?

"Please, Draco," Harry whispered and his warm breath hit Draco's lips, making him wet his lips in response.

They were so close together, he would only have to reach out a bit more and then they would kiss.

He caught himself just in time when his lips nearly touched Harry's. Emerald green stared in his eyes unguarded, showing Draco how desperate Harry was for him to keep his secret.

Draco bit his lip and cursed his heart. "Fine, I won't tell either of them about your nausea." Harry sighed relieved. "But if you keep getting sick, we'll go to see a Healer immediately when we get back home."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped by Draco.

"Harry, you don't know how sick you are, so if you keep puking, we need to see a Healer to know what's wrong with you," he said forcefully.

Harry stared at him dejected, but nodded eventually. "Fine, if I'm not better by the end of the holiday we go to a Healer," he muttered and looked away.

"Good, now let's go. You need to rest a bit," Draco said relieved and helped Harry up, supporting him on his way to his bedroom.

His decision to talk about Marc was completely forgotten. All he could think about was what exactly was wrong with the boy he was in love with.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Harry finally discovers what's wrong with him.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 5**

_31st_ _of July_

Harry was rudely awoken again – this time not because of his stomach, having emptied it two hours ago – but by a weight on his legs.

"Wakey, wakey, Harry," someone chuckled, clearly amused at seeing Harry blink and grabbing his chest.

"Damn it, Draco, you scared the shit out of me," Harry growled, sitting up against his pillows and kicking his friend off of his legs.

"Aw, I just came to wish you a happy birthday," Draco smirked. "Isn't that nice of me?"

"Asshole," Harry muttered, but smiled. "What time is it?"

"Nine thirty," Draco replied after having casted the Tempus charm.

Harry stared blankly at the wand, before it finally clicked what day it was.

"YES! It's my birthday today!" he exclaimed excitedly, a big grin splitting his face.

"It took you long enough to realize that," Draco replied dryly.

"Oh hush," Harry smiled and yawned. He tensed when he caught Draco's concerned gaze. "What?"

"How is your nausea?"

Harry sighed. "Fine."

"Do you need to puke now?"

"No."

Grey eyes narrowed. "Have you already been nauseous?"

Harry hesitated, not in the mood to hear Draco's worries. So he got nauseous, no big deal.

"Harry," Draco said warningly.

"Fine, yeah, I've already been nauseous; a few hours ago." Harry scowled, crossing his arms.

Draco sighed. "Harry, don't you think it's time you tell Black of this? You need help."

"I don't need help," Harry insisted stubbornly.

"Merlin, you can be such an idiot sometimes." Draco glared. "Fine, don't tell him now. But as soon as we are home, we're going to a Healer."

Harry gritted his teeth, but knew that protest was futile against a determined Malfoy. He just hoped that whatever it was that made him nauseous would disappear before they went home.

They both almost jumped three feet in the air when the door banged open and a huge, black, shaggy dog came jumping on the bed, licking Harry's face.

Draco's nose wrinkled in disgust when he thought of the dog spit on Harry's face.

Harry laughed and cleaned his wet face with his sheet.

Padfoot yipped and changed back into a grinning Sirius. "Happy birthday, pup!"

"Thanks," Harry chuckled.

Sirius turned around to face Draco. "What are you doing here, Blondie? I thought you were still in the bathroom."

Draco scowled. "I came to wish Harry a happy birthday."

"How sweet," Sirius drawled, smirking, his dark eyes glinting knowingly.

Draco narrowed his eyes, not liking the glint in his cousin's eyes.

"Let's go downstairs, pup," Sirius said excitedly. "Remus and Cissa are waiting with your presents." He jumped up and almost skipped out of the room.

Draco blinked bemused. "Going by his behaviour you would think it was his birthday." He shook his head.

Harry chuckled. "We better go downstairs before he comes up again."

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were all seated around the dining table, a pile of wrapped up presents waiting for Harry.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Narcissa smiled. She was dressed in a light blue dress that seemed to glitter every time she moved a bit. A necklace with one diamond in the shape of a heart was resting just below her collarbone.

"Thank you, Narcissa," Harry smiled happily.

"Now why don't you open your presents, hm?" Sirius suggested, and innocently shoved a long, thin package towards Harry, who eyed it warily. The last time he had received such a long, thin package it had contained a Firebolt. Green eyes narrowed and stared at Sirius whose smile turned innocent. It couldn't be true, could it? Harry remembered a new broom coming out just a few weeks ago and the advertisement claimed it was faster than the Firebolt. But Sirius couldn't have bought that for him, could he? That would just be ridiculous.

"Sirius …" Harry said in a warning voice.

"What? Just open it already," Sirius insisted impatiently.

Harry stared at him with a frown, but reached slowly for the package, taking his time to unwrap it. His worst fear had come true. A sleek, black broom greeted him, the word 'Airbolt' shining in silver at the top of the broom handle.

"Sirius!" he protested and glared at his godfather.

"What? Can't I buy a present for my godson?" Sirius huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"But this is the broom that just came out! The price was ridiculous high! You can't just spend that many Galleons for my birthday." Harry's glare intensified.

"Why not? My money is just sitting there, waiting in my vault. Now at least it had a purpose." Sirius shrugged.

Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead. He should have paid better attention to what Sirius had been buying three weeks ago. But honestly, how should he have expected that his friend would have bought the most expensive broom there was on the market?

"Sirius, I can't accept this," Harry continued to protest.

"Really, Harry," Draco interfered, his grey eyes studying the new broom intently, "you should just accept it. It's rude to refuse a gift after all."

Harry grumbled a bit more, but grudgingly laid the broom against the wall behind him, ignoring the triumphant look on his godfather's face.

"Time for my present," Remus smiled and handed him something thick, wrapped in dark blue paper.

"You didn't have to," Harry smiled self-consciously.

Remus just shrugged and waved it off.

Harry's face cleared up when he noticed what it was. True to his studious nature, Remus had given him a book about Defence against the Dark Arts. It was more detailed than the school books and it illustrated more gruesome spells and curses with the defence spell next to it.

"Thanks, Remus," Harry grinned and beamed at him.

"Don't mention it," Remus smiled, a bit shyly.

"Now my present," Draco urged him on and handed over a box with some holes in it.

Harry raised an eyebrow and at Draco's impatient huff, he opened it, gaping when he saw the content of the box. A small, light grey snake with a couple of blacks spots spread out over his body was looking up at him, staring him right in the eyes.

" _Are you my new master?"_   the snake hissed, rising up in the box, until his head peeked out of it.

" _Yes. My name is Harry. Pleased to meet you,"_   Harry hissed in return, automatically slipping into Parseltongue.

" _My name is Akeyra._ _I am a Coronella austriaca,"_   the snake told him proudly.

" _You are a very beautiful snake,"_   Harry flattered him, knowing that snakes were weak against flattery. Now that he thought of it, Slytherins were weak against flattery too – no wonder they had a snake as symbol.

" _Thank you, Master Harry,"_   Akeyra hissed, sounding very pleased. _"Are there frogs near your nest?"_

Harry blinked at hearing the weird question and was on the verge of asking why Akeyra would ask something strange like that, when he finally understood it. _"Yes, you can find frogs in the backyard, near the pond. It's in the shade of the big tree at the back."_

" _Thank you, Master Harry. I will be back as soon as I have had my meal,"_   Akeyra replied and slithered down the table, out of the open door to the backyard.

Harry felt a bit sorry for the frogs, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it. His snake had to eat too.

"Where is the snake going?" Draco asked worriedly. "He isn't escaping, is he?"

Harry shook his head, smiling. "No, he's out to catch a frog, because he's hungry."

Draco grimaced a bit. "And do you like your present?" he smirked.

Harry grinned and gave him a big hug. "Like it? I love it!" He blushed a bit when he realized that he hadn't let go of Draco and stepped back hastily, clearing his throat. "Thanks for the snake."

Draco rubbed his nose in a rare sign of bashfulness. "No problem." He winked.

Two other presents were given to him by Neville and Luna. Neville had given him a small exotic plant that turned out to be a Vriesea which was a brightly coloured plant with white yellow leaves. According to the information Neville had put with the plant, the plant was ideal for bedrooms, because it gave off a soothing scent. His leaves, therefore, could be used in Sleeping potions.

The present of Luna contained a bracelet with one green, small, clear rock and a purple rock with tiny, black spots in it. In her letter she stated that the bracelet would help protect him against harm.

After putting away his plant and clasping the bracelet around his right wrist, there was only one gift left to open. It was small and wrapped up in white, shiny paper, bound together with a bow of pale blue ribbon.

"I wonder who that came from?" Harry frowned, picking it up carefully.

"That present is given by me, sweetheart," Narcissa smiled gently and raised her glass with apple juice, an amused glint in her pale blue eyes when she caught Harry's astonished face.

"You really shouldn't have …" Harry stuttered.

She waved her hand. "Nonsense, dear, it's your birthday. You're practically a son to me – it would be very rude to ignore your birthday."

Harry rubbed the back of his neck embarrassed, but opened the small package, cocking his head to the right when he encountered a closed, dark green, velvet box.

"Go on, open it," Narcissa encouraged him.

He found the lid and opened it slowly, his mouth falling open when he saw what the box contained. It was a silver locket, engraved with the Malfoy's crest. Next to him, he heard Draco gasp when he recognized the locket and with trembling hands he opened the locket, blinking away tears when he saw the two little pictures in it. On the left, the photo portrayed his parents, embracing each other, big smiles on their faces. On the right was a photo of him, Draco, Remus, Sirius and Narcissa, all sitting together in front of the fireplace in the grand living room of Malfoy manor during the Christmas dinner last year. They were all smiling excitedly.

"How …" Harry trailed off, not sure if his voice would stay steady.

"I said it before, didn't I?" Narcissa smiled warmly, ignoring the flabbergasted looks Remus and Sirius threw her. "You're like a son to me now; this is a way to welcome you properly in the family."

Harry went redder than he went before and started to stammer while Draco grinned and slapped his back.

"Welcome to the family, Harry," he laughed softly and his grey eyes glimmered. He recognized the locket as one of the heirlooms his grandfather had left him, but he didn't begrudge Harry for having it. In fact he rather liked the thought of Harry wearing it – a sign that he belonged to the Malfoys. He didn't care one bit that it could sound possessive.

In the end Harry decided to show his thanks by hugging Narcissa who at first was startled, but hugged him back after a few seconds. Harry wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape his eyes and quickly slid the locket around his neck, the weight leaning comfortable against his chest.

When Harry went upstairs to put his broom, plant and book away, he noticed a familiar owl waiting for him in the open window. His heart started beating rapidly and a smile appeared on his face and he quickly walked over to the window, relieving the owl of his burden.

The package wrapped in black and gold paper was rather small with a letter attached to it.

" _Happy birthday, Harry!_

_I wish I could have been there with you to celebrate your birthday, but we can't always have what we want, right? Anyway, enjoy your birthday and I miss you! I can't wait to see you again._

_Love_

_Marc"_

Harry's smile got brighter and he ripped the paper away eagerly, barely holding himself together. Emerald green eyes widened and his mouth dropped open when he saw a necklace lying against the silk cloth. A rose quartz shaped in the form of a heart was glittering in the sunlight, creating a soft glow against the ceiling.

A trembling finger caressed the cool, smooth surface of the stone and he carefully clasped it around his neck, his finger touching the stone for a moment before letting it rest against his collarbone. He knew he had made the right choice by keeping Marc. It was so sweet of him to give him this – especially when Harry remembered for which quality rose quartz stood for and he blushed heavily.

He sat down on his chair and looked out the window, musing about how he could thank Marc for his beautiful present. His smile never left his face the entire day.

* * *

_10th_ _of August_

When Draco stopped in front of Harry's room that midday, he heard him cooing to Akeyra and he smirked, knowing he had made a right choice by choosing the snake.

His smirk disappeared when he thought of the new addition adorning Harry's neck. He had barely been able to contain the glare that threatened to appear in his eyes when he had spotted the small stone lying just on top of Harry's collarbone. He hadn't needed to ask who that necklace came from. Harry beaming had been enough answer. Surprisingly Lupin and Black had managed to control themselves as well. They had only told Harry to immediately come to them if Marc ever tried something again and warned him to be careful. There was nothing more that they could do.

Draco shook his head and plastered a smile on his face before he entered the bedroom.

Harry looked up with a smile when Draco sat next to him on the bed and continued petting Akeyra who was sleeping, curled up in his lap after haven caught another frog.

"Are you ready to leave?" Draco asked, glancing at the packed suitcases. "We'll be leaving in ten minutes."

Harry nodded. "I checked; everything is back into my suitcases."

"Good. Is Akeyra going to stay in your neck?" Draco asked, staring at the snake who looked at him with blank eyes. It was a bit unnerving.

"Yeah, I don't want to conjure up a cage for him. Besides he says he likes sleeping in my neck," Harry muttered and hissed something to Akeyra, who rose up and slithered up Harry's left arm, settling himself around his neck as if he was a shawl.

"Have you been nauseous?" Draco murmured, his grey eyes looking intently at Harry's face, ready to observe any facial expression. If Harry lied, he would know. And boy, the consequences wouldn't be pretty – he hated being lied to.

"No," Harry replied and shook his head. He caught Draco's sceptic gaze and he rolled his eyes. "I'm not lying. I really haven't been nauseous this morning."

"So, it just stopped all of the sudden?" Draco raised an eyebrow. He knew of no illness that would make someone nauseous for weeks and then suddenly disappearing again.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, not that I complain. It's not like I love hanging over the toilet, puking my guts out."

Draco scrunched up his nose. "I don't need that visual image."

Harry just smirked. He had been ecstatic when he woke up this morning to a normal stomach, not feeling any need to puke. He didn't care why it suddenly had stopped; he was just happy that he wouldn't need to go to a Healer now. He had enough of lying in a hospital; it had seemed as if he had spent half his school years in Hogwarts in the infirmary.

"Let's go downstairs, so that we can put everything there."

Harry nodded and they grabbed their suitcases, dragging them down the stairs and placing them in the middle of the hallway. This time the Portkey would take them to Sirius' home, making them land in the living room.

"Everyone ready?" Remus asked with a smile. The vacation had left him with a tanned skin and for the first time in years he looked younger than his actual age.

Draco and Harry nodded and took their place between Sirius and Narcissa, grabbing a hold on the Portkey which was now a raffled, black sweater.

One minute later, the Portkey activated and in a flash they landed in the living room.

Harry clamped his mouth shut when he felt his stomach trying to eject his breakfast and after a few seconds of feeling extremely nauseous and getting dizzy, his nausea disappeared, his stomach settled and it only left him with a burning throat from the stomach acid.

"Thanks again for inviting us, Cissa," Sirius grinned and embraced his cousin.

"It was no trouble at all," Narcissa assured him and after hugging Remus and Harry, she walked over to the fireplace and took a pinch of the green Floo powder, her suitcases already sent through the fireplace to the manor. "Dragon, are you ready?"

"Yes, mother," Draco smiled and after hugging Harry quickly and waving at his cousin and Lupin, he joined his mother in the fireplace and disappeared in a green flash.

"Well, now all that is left is unpacking and making lunch," Remus smiled and dragged a complaining and whining Sirius to their rooms, levitating their suitcases in front of him. Harry followed his family amused, Akeyra still asleep in his neck.

As soon as he was in his room, he grabbed parchment and a quill and set about writing a letter to Marc, asking to get together as soon as he arrived home. He couldn't wait to see his boyfriend again. Even after the fight they had had, he had missed him terribly and he couldn't wait to kiss and hold him again.

* * *

_11_ _th_ _of August_

Harry knew it had been too good to be true. As soon as he had woken up, he had felt the familiar nausea creeping up again and he had reached the toilet just in time to see his dinner of last night, landing in the white bowl, while his eyes starting to sting and burn. He heaved again and grabbed the sides of the toilet, holding himself steady.

Too late he realized that he had forgotten to lock the door and in his state, he couldn't do anything to prevent Remus from barging in after his keen werewolf sense had alerted him to the noise and foul smell.

"Merlin, Harry," Remus muttered and knelt next to him, rubbing his back soothingly and waiting for the puking to stop.

When Harry was finally done, he leant back against the cold tiles of his bath tub while Remus got up and made a washcloth wet and rubbed it over his face, swiping away the sweat and handing him a glass of cool water.

"Thanks," Harry said in a rasping voice and he winced.

"What happened? Are you getting sick?" Remus asked worriedly and pressed his hand against Harry's forehead, checking for a fever. He found none.

Harry shook his head weakly, putting the empty glass on the green tiled floor. "Just something bad I ate last night, I guess," he muttered, evading the golden coloured eyes that were staring at him.

"We all ate the same food, cub," Remus pointed out and then suddenly stiffened, narrowing his eyes.

"What?" Harry asked warily. He started when Remus suddenly leant closer to him and seemed to sniff, his eyes gaining a concerned and baffled look. "Remus, what …"

"Come on, I'm bringing you to Poppy," Remus suddenly announced and helped him standing up.

"What, why?" Harry asked surprised, leaning against the wall when he got a bit dizzy.

"Because we have to find out what caused you to puke," Remus replied and ushered him to the bedroom, stuffing a jeans and a blue T-shirt in his arms. "Go change."

"But I don't need to see Poppy; I'm fine," Harry protested.

He was met with a glare. "We're going to see Poppy and that's final, Harry," Remus told him and he sounded tense. "Go change now."

Harry opened his mouth to argue some more, but one warning look was enough to shut him up and he hastily switched his pyjamas for his new clothes, all the while wondering why Remus was so bent on having him examined by Pomfrey. He had caught him puking just once; this hardly explained why Remus seemed so worried.

"Where is Sirius?" Harry asked when they entered the living room, looking around him. Maybe Sirius would be able to convince Remus he didn't need to see the school nurse.

"He's out to the bakery," Remus told him absentmindedly and Harry's shoulders sagged, realizing his only hope had left the house.

"Come on." Remus dragged him to the fireplace and said, "Hogwarts, Infirmary."

He was saved from an embarrassing fall out of the fireplace by Remus who hold his arm.

Pomfrey looked up from her desk with a frown. "Mister Potter, Mister Lupin, what are you two doing here?"

"You need to examine Harry, Miss Pomfrey," Remus told her gently and pushed Harry on an examination table, keeping his hand on Harry's shoulder to keep him from escaping. "I caught him puking this morning and I'm worried he's getting sick."

Pomfrey sighed and stood up, walking over to the duo. "I had rather not wished to see you here again, Mister Potter." She looked at him disapprovingly and grabbed her wand.

"Trust me, it wasn't my choice either," Harry snorted and looked away.

"All right, so how long has this nausea been going on?" the nurse asked, her wand glowing green when she used it to scan Harry's body. "And don't dare to lie to me, young man. I have had you here enough to know when you're lying."

Harry's mouth tightened and he scowled. "A couple of weeks," he muttered annoyed. Why did they have to make such a big deal out of this? It was just a bit of puking.

Suddenly Pomfrey made a surprised sound and Remus stared at her. "Miss Pomfrey?"

She ignored him and her eyes narrowed when she turned her attention to Harry's stomach, letting her wand scan the area again. It turned blue again.

"Mister Potter, please be honest with me now," she started and looked at him with an unreadable look on her face. "Have you had sex a few weeks ago?"

Harry stared at her and he could feel a blush spreading from his neck to his cheeks. "What? NO! I haven't had sex; I never had sex. I'm – I'm still a virgin." He blushed even more when he admitted that. He really didn't want to talk about his private life with the school nurse. Or with Remus for that matter.

"Really? You're not lying?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Miss Pomfrey, I swear! I have never had sex before," Harry spluttered, wondering what the hell was going on now. Why would she need to know that? What had sex to do with him being nauseous?

"Then how could this have happened?" Pomfrey muttered, frowning and doing the scan again. It came back with the same result. But if Potter spoke the truth, then how could he be possibly …

"Madam?" Remus asked, trepidation rising up in his body. His senses had to be wrong. They had never failed him before, but in this case they had to be wrong. Because if they were right, then this meant that his cub was …

Pomfrey stared at Harry who looked back at her puzzled. "Mister Potter, I don't know how to say this and this will come as a huge shock to you, but … It turns out that you're pregnant. Almost three months to be exact."

Silence reigned in the room. Harry stared at the nurse who looked back at him with sympathy in her eyes.

Pregnant? Him?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we have arrived at one of the more angsty chapters in this story  
> Warnings: Angst a bit, but that's to be expected. Now I warn you, I've never been in Harry's place, so I tried to do my best to make his reaction realistic. I'm aware that there are people who would react differently, but that's the thing about humans: we're all unique. So I want to say that I don't mean to offend anyone with Harry's reaction. His reaction is just what I thought would be best suited for his character.
> 
> Also the last scene of this chapter is not something I'm particularly happy with, but it was the best I could come up with
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 6**

_11th_ _of August_

For a long time Harry sat there, just staring at the nurse. Pregnant? Him? No, that couldn't be. That was impossible. He never had sex before. And to become pregnant as a man, you had to swallow a pregnancy potion and Harry was damn sure he never swallowed one. Snape had been forced to teach them about those potions in case a boy decided he wanted to carry his own child. When he had had that lesson, Harry vaguely could remember he had liked the idea of swallowing a potion that would give him the ability to carry his own children, but it wasn't like he wanted children in the near future.

And now he was pregnant. But that just couldn't be. He couldn't be pregnant. You had to have sex to get pregnant and he had never done it before. Sure, Marc had tried, but he had refused.

"I can't be pregnant," he whispered. "I just can't be. I never had sex before!"

Poppy had to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat when tear filled, green eyes looked at her. She had thought Harry lied about the not having sex part, because his guardian was in the same room, but looking at the distraught boy in front of her, she realized that according to his knowledge he never had sex before. Still, the spell hadn't lied. Harry Potter was almost three months pregnant. And if he couldn't remember having sex before, that could only mean one thing - he was drugged and raped.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but the spell doesn't lie. You're almost three months pregnant," Poppy murmured and patted his hand awkwardly.

"Pregnant?" Remus repeated faintly. He didn't want to believe it. Yes, his smell never lied and he clearly smelled the pregnancy hormones in Harry, but he had thought that for this one time his sense of smell had lied to him. This was unbelievable. Not only was Harry pregnant, but he couldn't even remember having sex. His cub had been raped and drugged and he hadn't known it.

Rage as hot as fire flared up inside of him. When he got his hands on the filthy piece of shit that had hurt his cub, he would kill him. He would kill him and nobody would be able to stop him. Nobody got away with hurting his cub. Nobody.

"But how did this happen?" Harry asked desperately and felt hot, wet tears rolling down his cheeks. This just wasn't happening. This had to be some horrible nightmare. Any minute now he would wake up in his own bed and he wouldn't be pregnant. He pinched himself in his arm and the burning sting let him know that this was reality, that he was awake and that he was pregnant.

"I don't know," Poppy whispered and stroked his hair back. She felt sorry for the boy she considered her own son. She had been nursing him since his first year and he had spent so many times in the Infirmary that she had come to think of him as family. To see someone she considered her son so distraught and confused made her helpless. She couldn't do anything to help him and that hurt. She wanted nothing more than to help Harry, but she couldn't.

"But – but..." Harry bit his lip. He was pregnant; he was carrying a baby from Merlin knew who and he couldn't even remember his first time. A sob tore through his chest and he vaguely felt Remus enveloping him in his arms. He had wanted his first time to be special, something he could remember with a smile on his face and some guy took that away from him. Thanks to some unknown guy he couldn't even remember his first time. And that guy had not only drugged him, but apparently slipped him a pregnancy potion too so that he was now stuck with the consequences of sex he couldn't remember. Why had that guy done this? What was so funny about drugging him and slipping him a potion and then raping him?

Harry's hands clenched tightly against his stomach. Some part of his mind was glad that he couldn't remember the rape, that he wouldn't have to relive it in his memories and dreams, but a larger part screamed for his lost innocence. He couldn't even try to forget his lost first time, because he was carrying a child. He would never be able to forget and go on with his life when a child would remind him what had happened to him.

Suddenly his breath stopped. He didn't have to keep the baby. He could have an abortion, right? He could let the baby be removed and then he could pretend like none of this had ever happened. If girls could get abortions, then why couldn't he? Why should he have to be reminded of something he wanted to forget?

"Miss Pomfrey?" he began uncertainly.

Pomfrey seemed to startle. "Yes, dear?"

"Can you remove the baby?"

The silence that followed his question felt heavy and seemed to suck the air out of the room.

"You want me to remove the baby?" Pomfrey repeated as if she couldn't believe what she had heard.

Harry nodded. "Yes, can you do that? I don't want this baby, I'm too young and I don't want to have a reminder." His voice caught a bit at the end. "Please, miss? I really am not ready to keep a baby."

"I wish I could help you, Harry, but I can't," she replied sadly.

"What?" Harry asked shocked. "Why not? You're a nurse. You know how to do abortions, right?"

Remus flinched at the word, but kept silent.

"Yes, I know how to perform those, but Harry, I can't remove your baby," Pomfrey replied softly.

"Why the hell not? I don't want it!" Harry hissed frustrated. Why couldn't she understand that he didn't want any reminders of what that asshole did to him? Was it that awful that he didn't want to keep the baby? Didn't she understand?

"I can't remove your baby, because you're too far along now," she answered with a sigh. "The Ministry doesn't allow to break off pregnancies when the mother is more than two months far."

"But girls can have abortions until they are almost four months along," Harry said confused.

"Yes, girls can have that, because their bodies are equipped with a womb from their birth. But boys don't have a natural womb. Removing a baby when the man is more than two months far, puts the man at risk. The chance that you will survive the surgery is very small, because your magic wouldn't be able to cope with the sudden loss," she explained softly. "You see, your magic is now accustomed to the baby inside of you, because it's sharing your magic as well. If I take the baby away, your magic would be out of control and would start attack your own body which would lead to your death."

Harry stared at her. "So you're saying that I am forced to keep that thing, because I didn't come sooner when I started getting sick," he said, his voice hollow. He felt hollow. His one chance of getting his life back was ripped away. Just because he had been stubborn and not visited a doctor sooner, he now had to keep the child even though he didn't want it. Why couldn't he get a normal life? What had he done so wrong that his whole life had to be fucked up? First his parents dead, then battling Voldemort, losing his friends and now he was knocked up by some guy who had drugged and raped him. Was it too much to ask for a normal life?

"Listen, Harry, I know this will be hard for you, but you have to carry the baby until the birth," Poppy said and grabbed his hand, squeezing it softly. "But if you really don't want the baby, you can give it up for adoption. That way you won't have to raise it. But I urge you to think about it very carefully. An adoption is not something you can take lightly. If you choose to let your child adopt, you won't be able to ever see it again. So please, Harry, think carefully; I don't want you to regret giving up your child."

Harry just shook his head and turned around to bury his head in Remus' chest. He just wanted to go home now. He wanted to sleep and forget everything that had happened now.

"I'll give you some flyers about male pregnancy and adoption to take with you," Poppy murmured to Remus and he nodded, keeping his arms around his cub.

"It will be okay, I promise. You'll be okay, you'll see," he murmured in the black, unruly hair and rubbed Harry's back, not knowing what he could do to take away the boy's suffering. It wasn't fair that Harry had to go through this. He was too young to be a father and it wasn't even the baby of the boy he loved. The baby he was carrying was the result of a drug rape and Remus wouldn't blame his cub if the boy decided to give his baby up for adoption.

Harry was only vaguely aware of being led through the Floo and back to his room. He felt himself being tucked into his bed and a soft kiss pressed against his forehead before his eyes closed on their own and he let himself fall in the dark soothing arms of sleep.

* * *

Remus sighed and took a seat at the kitchen table, dropping his head in his hands. How the hell were they supposed to sort this mess out? If Harry had been carrying the child of Marc, then it wouldn't have been such a difficult problem. Sure Harry would still be too young then, but at least then he would have carried the child of a man he loved. Now he was carrying a child from Merlin knew who and he didn't even remember the sex. How was he going to help Harry?

Helplessly Remus stared at the wooden table that contained scratches from a cutting spell that had been misfired. If he could have, he would have taken the burden of Harry and carried it himself, but that was not possible in this case.

"Oh cub, why do these things have to happen to you?" he murmured and rubbed his forehead.

"What did happen to Harry?" Sirius' voice scared him almost to death when the man suddenly appeared in the doorway, carrying a bag with bread and pastries.

"Sirius!" Remus gaped and then cursed. Shit, how was he supposed to explain this to Sirius?

Sirius frowned and placed the bag on the kitchen counter, turning back to face him. He leant against the counter and crossed his arms. "Alright, spill. What happened when I was gone?"

"Why do you think something happened?" Remus tried to evade the upcoming scene that would no doubt turn very ugly. He knew Sirius had the right to know what was wrong with Harry, but he had no clue as to how to approach the subject without Sirius blowing up.

"Remus, you're my best friend and I love you, but if you don't tell me what happened to Harry this instant, you will find yourself at the wrong side of my wand," Sirius growled, his dark grey eyes narrowing dangerously.

Remus gulped and took a deep breath. "Well, the thing is that … I took Harry to Pomfrey."

Sirius frowned. "Is he sick? What does he have? Nothing serious I hope."

A hysterical laughter tried to break out from Remus' throat, but he managed to hold it in. "It's rather serious. He'll have it for another six months."

"What illness takes six months to heal?"

"The type of illness that stays in the body for nine months before it comes out."

It was silent for a while and Remus stared at his friend in apprehension, noticing all the different emotions appearing and disappearing in the grey eyes, until Sirius seemed to reach a conclusion.

"Please tell me that you're joking. Harry is pregnant?" Sirius asked, wide eyed and dropped on a chair, feeling as if his legs couldn't hold him anymore. His godson pregnant? No, that couldn't be. He hadn't had sex with Marc; hell, he had refused him when he had tried, hadn't he? It was impossible that his pup was pregnant.

"I wish I was," Remus murmured and bit his lip. "He's almost three months far."

"But you said he hadn't had sex with Marc. He refused him weeks ago," Sirius murmured confused.

"No, he didn't have sex with him." Remus shifted uncomfortably on his chair. Any minute now Sirius would connect the dots and hell would break loose.

"So he's pregnant, but he didn't have sex with his boyfriend," Sirius said slowly, his fingers tapping sharply on the wooden table. "I never thought I would say this, but I sincerely hope that Harry has been cheating on Marc. Please tell me he cheated."

"He didn't; you know he would never do something like that, Padfoot," Remus answered softly.

Hands clenched tightly into fists and Remus held his breath. "MY GODSON WAS RAPED?"

The scream vibrated against the walls and Remus winced, casting a fleeting glance at the stairs, wondering if Harry had woken up.

"Try to be quiet, will you?" Remus hissed. "Harry is sleeping!"

"You want me to be quiet when I get to hear that my godson was raped?" Sirius snapped back and slammed his fist against the table, ignoring the way pain shot up through his arm. "Why didn't he tell us? We could have helped him! Who's the fucking son of a bitch that did that to him? I'm going rip his limbs off, shove them so far up his arse he'll be coughing them up for weeks, shred his dick into tiny fucking pieces and strangle him with his own guts before setting him on fire!"

"He didn't tell us, because he can't remember it! He was drugged," Remus sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"He was drugged, raped and apparently forced to swallow a pregnancy potion," Sirius began eerily calm and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. "I'll make sure that guy experiences hell on earth when I find him."

Remus didn't doubt one second that his friend was bluffing.

Sirius breathed heavily and started to murmur something underneath his breath which sounded much like uttered curses and more things he would like to do to that guy. Suddenly he looked up again. "What is Harry going to do? How did he react?"

"Not well obviously. He was totally in shock. Can't blame him of course." Remus stared out of the window. "He asked Pomfrey to remove the baby, but he's too far along by now. He has to carry the baby until the birth."

"Is he going to keep the baby?"

"I'm not sure." Remus shook his head slowly. "The nurse gave him the option of adoption, but he still has time to decide. Who knows? Maybe he decides to keep the baby, maybe he doesn't. Either way we're going to be there for him."

"Of course." Sirius bit his lip. He seemed to hesitate for a bit. "The owl brought a letter from Marc."

Remus took a deep breath. "Did you read it?" he asked suspiciously. It wouldn't surprise him if he had read it, the little snoop. Sirius had never resisted the temptation of reading another one's letter. After several fights about it, his friends had just given up. Sirius was too curious.

Sirius shifted on his chair with a guilty look on his face.

"Sirius! How many times do I have to tell you that it is impolite to read the letters addressed to someone else? For Merlin's sake, he's your godson!" Remus growled.

Grey eyes rolled in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, I'm not allowed to read those letters, but I was just curious."

Remus just clenched his jaw and shook his head.

"Anyway." Sirius turned grave suddenly. "He wrote that he's planning to visit Harry tomorrow."

"Oh shit," Remus groaned. "We have to warn Harry."

Sirius nodded and ranked a hand through his hair. Telling your boyfriend you were unknowingly raped and pregnant from another guy … How would Marc react?

* * *

Harry woke up to the feeling of having his hair caressed and he let out a small sigh. His eyes felt heavy and gritty and his head felt stuffed. Slowly everything came back to him and he clenched his fists underneath the blankets. The urge to cry threatened to take over again, but he forced it down. Crying wouldn't help him; it would give a temporally relieved feeling at best, but it wouldn't last long.

Slowly he opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Sirius, sitting next to him on his bed.

"Hey, kiddo," Sirius whispered.

"Hey." Harry's voice croaked and he coughed to clear his throat. "How late is it?"

Sirius murmured the Tempus charm. "Almost two in the afternoon."

"I missed lunch?" Harry blinked surprised. His stomach felt hollow, but he didn't know whether it was from hunger or whether it was just the same feeling he had earlier when he received the news.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure Remus will make something for you," his godfather soothed him.

Harry peered up at him with troubled eyes. "Did he tell you?" he asked softly.

Sirius nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, he told me."

Harry looked down again, afraid to meet the other man's eyes. "Are you mad at me?" he asked with a small voice. Would Sirius be disappointed now that his godson had managed to get knocked up at the age of eighteen? Granted, it wasn't his fault, but maybe Sirius thought it was his fault after all. He couldn't bear the thought of disappointing his godfather.

"You silly pup," Sirius murmured and pulled Harry up in a tight hug. "Why on earth would I be mad at you? This isn't your fault. When I find that asshole who did this to you, I'll make his life a living hell."

Harry sniffed and buried his face in Sirius' neck, clinging to his godfather and eagerly accepting the comfort he was given.

"Harry, a letter came for you today," Sirius started reluctantly.

Harry looked up confused. "A letter? From whom?"

"Marc. He wants to see you tomorrow."

The initial feeling was happiness and excitement, but it quickly faded away when he realized that he had to tell Marc about his pregnancy. He swallowed, but his mouth felt dry. How was he supposed to tell him that? Fuck, how would Marc react? Marc wouldn't leave him, right? Even when the baby wasn't his, he wouldn't leave him, right? He couldn't leave him.

A panicky feeling rose up in his stomach, trying to take over his whole body, but like with the urge to cry, Harry stamped it down. It wouldn't do to panic now. Marc loved him; he would be there for him. He had to be.

"Harry?" Sirius said softly.

"I th-think I'm going to tell him tomorrow." Harry bit his lip, avoiding the grey eyes. "It's no use delaying it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, he has the right to know about it," Harry murmured and stared at his balled hands.

"Do you want me or Remus to be with you when you tell him?" Sirius offered and grabbed one of his fists, coaxing him to open his hand.

Harry shook his head. "No, I can handle it on my own."

Sirius opened his mouth, but Harry cut him off before he could say anything. "If I need your help, I'll call for you, okay?"

"Okay." Sirius nodded with a resigned sigh. "So, eh, how do you feel about it?" he asked hesitatingly.

Harry looked away, staring out the window. "I don't know," he replied softly. "I just … I don't want to think about it. Just for a while," he murmured.

Sirius nodded slowly. "Well, just know that you can always come to me or Remus to talk, alright? We're here to support you."

"Thanks," Harry smiled gratefully.

* * *

The next day Harry was waiting nervously in the living room, a cup of green tea in front of him on the coffee table, left to cool. The clock showed it was half past nine and any minute now, Marc would arrive. Harry really had no idea on how to tell him he was pregnant. He himself was still in shock and weren't it for his nausea this morning, he would have thought he had dreamt it all. All night he had tried to remember if he had met someone three months ago that could have drugged him, but no one came to his mind. After his exile from the Gryffindor tower, he only talked to his family and Draco and Marc, not getting close to anyone else in case they betrayed him too.

He wondered if someone had been able to enter his private room in Hogwarts while he was asleep and had drugged him somehow. He didn't know and it made him feel very unsafe. If someone had been able to rape him without him knowing it, who knew what could happen to him further? Rationally he knew that nobody unknown would be able to enter the house without setting off the alarms and waking up Remus and Sirius, but that didn't take away his feeling of unease and panic.

He took a deep breath and held his head between his hands, staring down at the floor. His stomach was churning with unease and with each passing second, he got more and more nervous. He still hadn't figured out how he would bring over the news to Marc, but he guessed that he would come up with the best way when he saw him.

His head shot up when the doorbell rang and he stood up, his hands clenching in the fabric of his pants. He just needed to stay calm.

Marc entered the room with a big smile on his face, his eyes glittering in excitement. "Harry! I missed you so much!" He quickly walked over to the other boy, engulfing him in a hug and kissed him softly on his lips.

Sirius hovered in the doorway, uncertain whether to stay or go away. Harry waved him away; he would do this without Sirius' help.

"So, how was your vacation?" Marc asked once they had settled themselves on the couch, Harry leaning against his right side.

"It was good; we visited the beach a lot," Harry smiled weakly, his fingers pulling on a loose thread of his T-shirt.

"Me too," Marc chuckled. "Thought I would get a nice tan before I had to go back to England. The chance of getting a tan here is slim, after all."

Harry could only crack a weak smile at the joke and averted his eyes. He could feel his stomach turning and he fervently wished he wouldn't have to throw up again. He had enough of that to last him for a lifetime.

He was startled when he felt a soft hand grabbing his chin and turning his head to meet Marc's frowning face.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked concerned. "Did something happen?" His hand unconsciously twitched when he thought of someone hurting his boyfriend and Harry quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it on his lap, lest he would have a bruise on his chin.

_Well, no turning back now._ Harry took a deep breath and raised his eyes to meet Marc's. "Marc, I have to tell you something."

Marc furrowed his eyebrows. "Okay, what?" he asked suspiciously, not liking Harry's dead tone of voice. What had happened during the time they were apart?

"Remus took me to Pomfrey yesterday," Harry began uncertainly. He really didn't know how to tell him this. Shit, maybe he should have taken up the offer of Sirius to be with him now. Why did he have to be so damn stubborn?

"What for? Are you ill?" Marc asked concerned and gripped Harry's smaller hand tightly.

"I – I really don't know how to say this. I mean, I still can't believe it and if Pomfrey wasn't known for not being able to make a joke, I would have thought that she was playing with me, but she isn't," Harry stammered, feeling the familiar sting of tears behind his eyes. He forced them back; he wouldn't cry now, not now.

"Harry, stop blabbering," Marc ordered. "What is wrong? What did Pomfrey say?"

"I – I'm pregnant."

There, he had said it. It was out now. No turning back.

Harry stared at Marc who had gone pale and was opening and closing his mouth like a fish gasping for air. Marc shook his head and ranked a hand through his hair, biting on his lip.

Seconds ticked by and Harry got nervous. Why wasn't Marc saying anything? How was he feeling now? What was he thinking?

"Marc?" Harry whispered when it became clear that Marc wouldn't start talking first.

"Whose is it?" Marc asked abruptly and his eyes were trained on the bookcase across from them.

"I – I don't know," Harry replied and shifted a bit on the couch.

The air was turning heavy with something and Harry didn't like the feeling of it. Marc's face was blank so he couldn't read his emotions and thus couldn't guess what he was thinking. And that made him nervous. He didn't like staring at Marc's blank face. Marc had been an open book to him from the moment they started seriously dating. To not being able to guess what he thought was terrifying, especially at this moment.

"Why don't you know?" Marc asked sharply and when he turned to face Harry, the boy was taken aback by the fierce look of betrayal and hurt in the other one's eyes. "Don't you know who you slept with?"

"I didn't sleep with anyone!" Harry exclaimed distressed. Why would Marc think that? He should know that Harry wouldn't betray him and that he would never cheat on him. Why would he?

"Well, clearly you did, because how did you get knocked up otherwise?" Marc snapped and sneered. "Really, why would you be so stupid as to sleep with someone and swallow a pregnancy potion? How much of an idiot do you think I am? What am I not good enough for you? You won't fuck with me, but for some other guy, you open your legs?"

Harry trembled when he felt the hurt and the fury building up in him. How did he dare? How did he dare to accuse him of cheating on him and calling him a whore? Why didn't he trust him?

"I WAS RAPED!" he screamed, hands balling into fists. "I WAS DRUGGED AND RAPED! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF CHEATING! I NEVER ONCE CHEATED ON YOU!"

Marc stood up with a scoff. "Yeah right, go tell another one that pathetic sob story. Do you really expect me to believe that someone was able to drug and rape you while you're one of the strongest wizards I know? For fuck's sake, nobody in Hogwarts was able to sneak up on you and you expect me to believe you when you tell me that? I don't want to care for a child that isn't mine," he sneered, his once warm eyes staring coldly now at a frozen Harry. "It's not my fault you screwed up."

"You can't leave me," Harry whispered, shaking his head. This had to be a nightmare. Any minute now he would wake up and realize that he still had to have this conversation with Marc and surely that would happen otherwise. This wasn't happening. Marc couldn't be accusing him of cheating on him. He said he loved him – where was that love now?

"Damn well I can! Go back to that asshole; it's his child, not mine. Obviously you like him more than me!" Marc bit back and without looking back once, he stormed out of the house, ignoring Sirius' calls, who had come downstairs to hear what the yelling was about.

Harry stared at the wall opposite of him in shock and he hugged himself. Marc had broken up with him. He had left him, right when he had needed him the most. Those were the only thoughts that raced through his mind.

He didn't notice the tears streaming down his face, he didn't hear the broken sobs that bubbled forth out of his mouth and he hardly felt two strong arms wrapping around him, rocking him back and forth like a parent did to a distressed child.

Marc was gone. He had left Harry, even when he promised he wouldn't do that. He had counted on Marc to be there for him, to help him through this. Why didn't Marc believe him?

"Sssh, rest now, pup." He heard before he felt the whisper of a spell wrapping around him.

Warmth crept back in his body, warming him from the inside and his head began to feel fuzzy. _A sleeping spell_. Harry didn't even think about fighting it. Blissful obliviousness sounded like heaven now. He was already fast asleep by the time his godfather put him in his bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No specific warnings for this chapter, except that I'm not particularly happy with this one. It's fairly short in comparison to others and I feel like I didn't portray their feelings well enough in this one. Unfortunately, even after all this time, I still haven't found a way to make a better version of this one, so I apologize if it seems rushed.  
> I promise the next one will have a better portrayal of their feelings
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 7**

When Harry woke up, hours later, he didn't want to get up and go downstairs. He stared at the ceiling and bit his lip, pushing back the tears that wanted to escape. He didn't want to cry anymore. What was the use of crying? It wouldn't get him Marc back. Harry choked a bit on the next breath he took in. Marc. He couldn't believe he had just left him, had broken up with him. Why was it so easy for Marc to think that Harry had cheated on him? When had he ever shown interest in someone else? Marc knew damn well he would never cheat on him, but he had just dumped him. He didn't even listen to him when he told him the truth.

And now he was alone. He had counted on Marc helping him and now he wasn't there anymore. Harry had no illusions that Marc would come back to him. Could he really blame him? He was pregnant with another man's child; of course Marc wouldn't want to take responsibility for a child that wasn't his.

He sighed and sat up cautiously. When after five minutes, the urge to throw up didn't make itself known, he sighed in relief. With a bit of luck, he wouldn't have to experience that again.

He frowned when a commotion was heard downstairs.

"He's my best friend! It sounds like he needs me, so let me go upstairs," Draco argued loudly and loud footsteps made their way through the living room.

Harry bit his lip and looked at the door anxiously. So far it didn't sound as if Draco knew of his predicament, but the blond would not stop until he knew what was wrong. Trepidation rose up in Harry's chest. Would Draco leave him too once he knew what he was carrying?

"It's better if you come back on another day," Sirius advised Draco, but it was clear that Draco would not be stopped.

"I want to see Harry now," Draco replied stubbornly.

There was a long moment of soft murmuring, before Harry heard familiar footsteps making their way to his room.

Harry gulped and sat up straight in his bed, putting up an indifferent mask.

The door opened and Draco stood in the doorway with a frown on his face.

"You're going to tell me exactly what happened since I last saw you and don't dare to lie to me," he ordered, closed the door with an audible click and crossed the room in a few strides.

"I didn't know you were coming today," Harry smiled weakly and fiddled with the corner of his sheet.

Grey eyes narrowed. "Surprise," he sneered. "Now tell me what's wrong. You look ready to faint."

Harry sighed and pulled his knees up to rest his chin on them. He stared out of the window and muttered, "Marc and I broke up yesterday." He ignored the shudder that went through his body and pressed his lips together.

Silence hung heavily in the room, but Harry refused to look at the other boy, not wanting to see pity.

"Why?" Draco asked finally and he sounded neutral.

Harry swallowed and squeezed his eyes shut, his hand clenching in the fabric of his shirt.

"Harry?"

"You know how nauseous I was the last couple of weeks?" Harry began and from his peripheral vision he saw how Draco nodded warily. "A few days ago Remus took me to Pomfrey."

"And? Did she discover what causes the nausea?"

"Yeah, she did," Harry smiled bitterly and reached for his nightstand where Remus had placed the brochures about male pregnancy. He grabbed a few and shoved them in Draco's hands, who let out a sound of surprise.

Harry buried his face in his knees, tensing when Draco uttered a soft 'Oh Merlin'. Harry refused to look up, even after the rustling of the papers let him know Draco was done reading.

"So I take it it's not his baby?" Draco broke the silence.

Harry shook his head. "No. I don't know whose it is," he brought out with difficulty.

"So, you were …"

Neither one dared to utter the word. A heavy silence fell between them, making Harry feel like he was suffocating. What was Draco thinking now? Would he think Harry was disgusting, sullied? Would he leave him now?

Harry almost jumped three feet in the air when he felt two arms slipping around him and pulling him against a hard, warm chest.

"Draco?" Harry asked shocked.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Harry," Draco whispered in his hair. "Is that fucker in jail now?"

"I–I don't know who it was. I can't remember anything of it," Harry confessed, swallowing back a lump in his throat. "In fact if–if Pomfrey didn't tell me I–I was pre-pregnant, I never would have known."

"How far … how far along are you?" Draco asked, his whole body tense with anger.

"Three months," Harry replied softly, wiping across his eyes with a part of his sheets.

He felt Draco freeze against him.

"Three months? So i-it happened during the school year?" he asked shocked.

Harry nodded and lifted his head, looking at Draco. "You know, I would understand it if you don't-you know, want to be my friend anymore," he said softly, biting his lip.

Draco gazed at him incredulously. "What the hell? Why wouldn't I be your friend anymore?"

"Because, well, I'm carrying a baby now and …" Harry trailed off, not knowing how he would explain how he felt. If Marc didn't want to stay with him, why would Draco? Marc had been his boyfriend, but Draco had only been his best friend for a few years. It was possible he wouldn't want a best friend who was knocked up from someone he didn't know.

"Why would I leave you because of the baby?" Draco asked, scoffing. "Marc was an asshole for leaving you like that. If I was your boyfriend, I would have supported you and if you decided to keep the baby, I would have acted as his own father. It wouldn't have mattered to me. I would just make sure you were happy and the baby was well."

Harry blinked a few tears away and smiled weakly. "Thank you," he murmured in a broken voice and hugged Draco back. "You don't know how …" he broke off, but Draco nodded, knowing what he wanted to say.

"I'm here, Harry, I'm not leaving you," he murmured and let Harry bury his face in his neck, rubbing his back.

* * *

Half an hour later, Draco was staring at the opposite wall, his back reclined against the headboard and Harry dozing right next to him. He was caressing the soft, black hair and he couldn't resist sneaking a peek at Harry's stomach every so often.

Harry was carrying a baby. He was three months pregnant. And Draco was the father.

An immense feeling of guilt rose up in his chest, not unlike the feeling he had had after _that_ morning, three months ago. How could this have happened? How could Harry have fallen pregnant? He had only given him an adapted version of the lust potion, nothing else. He would have known if he had given the black haired boy a pregnancy potion. But Harry would never lie to him about a pregnancy. So, how on earth had this happened?

When Draco had read the papers, it hadn't quite clicked yet that he was the father. He had assumed that Harry had indeed fucked with Marc, but when Harry told him how far along he was, there was no other option. He was going to be a father in six months. Harry was carrying his baby.

He would have felt proud and excited, if not for that fact that _Harry_ _had_ _no_ _clue_ _he_ _was_ _the_ _father_ _of_ _his_ _baby._ And he could never tell him.

Draco pushed back the lump that was blocking his throat. He would never be able to tell Harry that he was carrying his child. If he did that, Harry would never forgive him. He would hate him for sure and Draco wouldn't blame him for that. He had raped Harry. Even if Harry had been into it that evening, it had only been because of a potion. Not because he was attracted to Draco. If Draco told him the truth he would never see Harry again and there was a high chance he would be thrown in jail. If that happened, Harry would forever be out his reach and his baby … He would never get the chance to see his son or daughter grow up.

He couldn't let that happen. Even with the guilt churning in his stomach, he had made his decision. He would stand by Harry's side and he would support him with the baby. Even if Harry never returned his feelings, he would never leave him. He wanted to stay with Harry in whatever way was possible and he wanted to see his child grow up.

Carefully he placed his hand on Harry's stomach, covering the place where his child was resting. He placed a sweet kiss on Harry's forehead and whispered, "I'll be there for you, Harry, I won't ever leave you or the baby."

Harry murmured something sleepily and turned his head on Draco's chest, oblivious to the soft, tender smile he was given.

* * *

Five hours later, Draco returned to his home after he had eaten early dinner and immediately went to the library, intent on discovering why Harry was pregnant now.

He collected five books he thought might help him and settled himself at a round, dark wooden table, sinking in the soft cushions of the green armchair. He searched for the book with the love and lust potions and browsed through them, checking his notes he had hidden in one of his books in his bedroom. He compared his notes with the love potion and frowned. So far he had not found anything that would turn the potion in a pregnancy potion. What had he done to make such a big mistake? Had he mixed up some ingredients? He had never done that before.

One hour later, Draco was ready to throw his books away, feeling agitated with every chapter he read while not finding the answer.

He was about to close the last book when his eyes caught a particular passage.

_One of the things you have to be aware of when making this potion, is to make sure you don't mix it with a potion designed to alter memories. The ingredients used in a Memoriam potion will create, together with the ingredients of a Lust potion, a potent pregnancy potion for males. If you wish to avoid pregnancy, make sure to never combine these two potions._

Draco stared at the passage dumbfounded. So because he had been so stupid as to not thoroughly check the books about Memoriam and Lust potions, he had knocked up Harry. Fuck. This was bad. If this ever got out … He didn't think the Aurors would find the remains of his body once Black was through with him. He shivered and closed the books, returning them one for one back to their designated place.

Taking one last look at his notes of his invented potion, he took a deep breath and muttered, "Incendio."

The fire licked at the paper, eating it up eagerly until there was nothing else left but black powder. Until there was nothing left of the evidence that could rip Harry away from him.

"I'm sorry, Harry," he whispered. "I don't deserve you," he sighed and turned around.

His mother had seemed anxious to talk to him. If only she knew she was about to become a grandmother soon.

Ignoring the sting of guilt trapped at the back of his mind, he made his way through the manor. Tomorrow he would talk with Harry again and try to find out what he thought about the baby.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As warning for this chapter: a bit of angst, but not much  
> I don't have any experience with this subject, so I'm whinging it with what I've seen on tv and read in magazines and books and such. So I hope I didn't screw up too much.  
> In this chapter Harry is three and a half month pregnant
> 
> Also, it could be that updates for this story won't be daily anymore starting tomorrow. College starts tomorrow, so that will take a chunk out of my time. Regardless I hope to keep up my frequent updating
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 8**

"How did Draco react? You spent a lot of time upstairs," Sirius asked later that evening.

They were sitting in the living room, Remus and Harry reading and Sirius lying stretched out on the couch with an open Quidditch magazine on his chest.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "He said he wouldn't leave me. He said Marc was an asshole for leaving me," he muttered.

"Can't say he isn't right about that bastard," Sirius muttered darkly. "Are you sure you don't want me to pay him a visit?"

"No, you would only get yourself in trouble. Besides, I think it's better this way. If he thinks I cheat so easily, that's a sign we wouldn't have worked out," Harry sighed. Although it hurt to think about Marc and his reaction, he figured it was better this way. If Marc didn't want to believe him and dumped him, because of his own false assumptions, then Harry was better off without him. He only hoped that the hurt would pass soon.

"Good riddance," Sirius said in a final tone. "But it's good that Draco is staying with you."

"Did you ever doubt that, cub?" Remus asked surprised and closed his book in favour of the conversation.

Harry's cheeks reddened a bit and he looked away. "Yeah," he admitted. "I thought he didn't want to deal with a pregnant friend."

"Why wouldn't he? You're best friends after all," Remus replied calmly, swatting Sirius' hand when he reached out to take a sip of Remus' Butterbeer. "Get your own one, lazy dog," he reprimanded him.

Sirius pouted. "But then I would have to get up," he whined.

Amber coloured eyes rolled in exasperation. "Too bad. Now let Harry answer."

"I don't know why I thought it, all right. I just figured it would be too much of a hassle to him," Harry sighed.

"Well, now you know better."

"Yeah," Harry smiled weakly and then yawned.

"Time to go to bed, it seems," Remus remarked slightly amused.

Harry huffed, but stood up, stretching his arms. "Fine, I'll go to bed. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Remus and Sirius chorused together and Harry waved at them before slipping upstairs to the bathroom where he took a quick shower, brushed his teeth and slipped into an old pair of sweatpants and a dark blue T-shirt.

Sighing, he climbed into his bed and pulled the light sheet over him. Drained from the worrying about Draco's reaction he quickly fell into a deep sleep, not waking up before nine a.m. the next morning.

* * *

Sirius sighed as he watched his godson going upstairs. "How do you think he's holding up?"

"Considering the circumstances, I'll take a wager and say he keeps it together well," Remus answered, placing his book on the table.

"Do you think he'll keep the baby?" Sirius asked curiously.

"How would I know? Harry hasn't said a single thing about that. I think he's still dealing with the fact that he's pregnant from an unknown guy." Remus frowned, feeling anger flaring up in his chest again at the thought that somebody had dared to touch Harry that way. When he would find that guy, he would make sure he wouldn't be joining the living again. Screw the Ministry and their biased rules. It was his family that had been hurt and he would make damn sure that man would know what happened when you dared to mess with a werewolf's pack.

"Hm," Sirius muttered noncommittally and stared at the ceiling with a contemplative look on his face.

Remus stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking that, well, there is a chance that Harry doesn't want to keep the baby. It's not that I can blame him considering the circumstances," Sirius began and sat up, ranking a hand through his hair swiftly before tugging softly on it. "But it got me thinking that instead of letting the baby be adopted by total strangers, we could, you know, adopt the baby if Harry would be alright with it."

"'We'?" Remus repeated incredulously. "As in you and I?"

"Well yeah, why not? We're a perfect team and would you honestly be okay with the thought that some random stranger would be caring for our godson's baby?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the right.

"I don't like the thought, no," Remus admitted warily. "But do you think it would be a good idea to adopt his baby? He would still be confronted it whenever he would come to visit us, or every day in case he decides to keep living here."

"That's why I would ask him if he was okay with it," Sirius explained patiently. "I won't force him to let us adopt his child; I just thought it would be better instead of some random stranger doing it."

"Well, let us wait to hear Harry's decision. If he decides to give the baby away, we can make the offer to him," Remus gave in.

"You would want to do it?" Sirius asked surprised. While he had suggested the idea, he had thought his best friend would be against it for some odd reason. It wouldn't be the first time Remus refused to join in on his ideas.

"Well yes, why not? Do you honestly think I would let you be alone with that child?" Remus snorted. "That kid would be mentally scared for life if I dared to do that!"

"Hey, how insulting! I'm great with kids!" Sirius protested heavily and flung a pillow to Remus' head, who dodged it with his arm.

"Yes, as long as they go back to their parents," Remus smirked and stood up, dodging another pillow. "If you don't mind, I'm going to bed now too. I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Yeah, run away, you coward! You know full well I would win this fight!" Sirius called after him and Remus only laughed softly before making his way to his own room.

He stopped at Harry's door and knocked on it, softly opening it when he didn't hear a reply. He smiled softly when he saw Harry curled up in bed, his sheets bunched up around his legs. Remus walked over to the bed and straightened out the sheets, pulling them back over Harry to make sure he wouldn't get stuck in them in the morning.

He patted the black hair softly and retracted his hand when Harry shifted a bit and sighed. After one last glance at his cub, he slipped out of the room and went into his own room. He wondered how Harry would react to the preposition of adopting his baby and shook his head. That was something he needed to worry about later.

With a sigh he dropped in his bed and closed his eyes, joining the world of the sleeping soon.

* * *

"So, how are you feeling today?" Draco asked from his spot on the grass.

They were lying on beach towels in the backyard, underneath the shadow of the oak tree. The air around them was shimmering with heat and both boys were casting Cooling charms every half hour. Their drinks were kept under a Cooling charm too; Butterbeer for Draco and apple juice for Harry. Even though Butterbeer had only a small percentage of alcohol in it-not enough to create a pleasant buzz unless you drank a lot of it-Remus had refused to give him a bottle to make sure the baby was really not harmed.

Although Harry had rather had a Butterbeer, he wasn't about to kick a fuss about it.

"I'm okay, I guess," he replied, stroking back a lock of his hair that had been plastered against his forehead.

"Still feeling nauseous?" Draco inquired concerned.

Harry shook his head. "No, I think the nausea is passing. I didn't have to throw up this morning nor yesterday, so I'm hoping that stage has passed."

"Well, if it hasn't, tell me and I'll make an Anti-Nausea potion for you," the blond offered.

"Thanks," Harry smiled gratefully.

It was silent for a moment until Draco broke it again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"If you don't want to answer, that's fine; I'm just curious."

Emerald green eyes glanced at him warily. "Okay," Harry said slowly, sitting up.

"Have you…decided what to do with the baby?" Draco sat up too and looked straight in Harry's eyes. His fingers were playing with the grass and he projected an aura of calmness as much as he could.   
This was the one question he had both dreaded and wanted to ask. Seeing as Harry was this far along already, the option of abortion was ruled out. That left either keeping it or letting it be adopted and Draco waited with baited breath for the answer. What would he do if Harry decided to give up the baby for adoption? He couldn't force him to keep it, but he greatly disliked the thought of having a stranger touching _his_ child and raising him or her. Realistically Draco knew they were both too young to keep the baby. They had just graduated and he would soon start his internship by his uncle. They were only eighteen; even though they were considered adults already by the Wizarding world, eighteen was still a very young age to raise children already. So looking at their age, it would be better to let the baby be adopted.

But … That baby was something he and Harry created _together_. It was part him and part Harry and he couldn't stand the thought of giving something up that was of them both. He didn't want to give up this baby; he wanted to keep it.

"I-I actually don't know yet what I'm going to do," Harry muttered softly and crossed his legs. He was staring at the towel and drawing circles on it. A frown marred his forehead. "It's not like I … planned for it and I can't say I'm happy with it," he sighed, tossed his head back and closed his eyes. "I feel like I'm a bad person now," he whispered, not really intending for Draco to pick up what he said.

It was true; a baby was not something he had been planning and he could hardly say he was beyond himself with joy, knowing that he was carrying it now. He didn't even know who the father was. This baby was the product of a drugged rape-was it bad of him that he didn't love it?

When he had pictured being pregnant (something he had envisioned would happen much later in his life), he had always thought he would be happy with it from the moment he knew it was growing inside of him. After all, that baby would have been wanted by both him and his partner; it would have been something they had created out of love. Something they would have been looking forward to.

But this baby …

He felt awful that he thought badly of the baby; after all it wasn't the baby's fault he or she was growing inside of him now. The baby couldn't do anything about it that it was conceived. But it wasn't … wanted. When he thought of the birth, he could only think about it with icy dread filling his stomach. Would he be able to look at the child after he or she was born? Would he be able to love it? Or would he only resent it as the living proof that something precious was stolen from him? Wouldn't it be better to give the child up for adoption? He was sure other people would be very happy to care for his baby; especially if they couldn't have any of their own. If the child was adopted, he wouldn't be remembered for the rest of his life that someone had taken advantage of him without ever being punished. He could even try and pretend that it had never happened and get on with his life. Would that make him a bad person?

"You're not a bad person, Harry," Draco spoke softly and came to sit next to him, pulling him in his arms. "It's only natural that you feel like this now. You still have some time to decide what you'll do."

"But will I make a good choice?" Harry asked thickly.

"Whatever you decide, it will be a good choice. And I'll be there for you, okay? Whatever you decide to do, I'll be there to support you," Draco murmured, shifting a bit so that Harry could lean more comfortably against his side.

"Thanks, you don't have to do that," Harry smiled weakly.

"I'm your friend, Harry. Why wouldn't I?" Draco asked rhetorically.

"Harry, Poppy just firecalled." Remus appeared in the doorway, pausing for a moment when he discovered the position the two young men were in. "In two weeks we have another appointment with her."

"All right," Harry called back, sighing.

Remus nodded and went back inside.

"Can I go with you?" Draco asked curiously, absently pushing a lock of his hair behind his ear.

"Eh, sure, no problem." Harry blinked. "Though I think it's just a check-up."

Draco shrugged. "I don't mind; I want to be there."

There was something about the way he said that, that made Harry look up at him. He considered asking why he wanted to be there, but decided against it in the end. Having extra support was always nice.

* * *

"Say, Sirius, you were pretty close to James, weren't you?" Remus asked curiously and sat next to his friend, who placed the newspaper on the table in favour of looking at him.

"Yeah, you were too, weren't you?" Sirius snorted and took a sip of his Firewhiskey.

"Well yeah, but did you hug James when we weren't around?"

"What the … What brought this kind of question? Sure, I hugged him a few times, like when Harry was born but not much, why?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"It's just …" Remus pursed his lips and stared out of the kitchen window. "Whenever I watch Harry together with Draco, they are always in close contact with each other, hugging a lot. Now again, Draco was hugging him."

Grey eyes blinked. "So? Maybe Harry wanted some comfort." Sirius shrugged. "Surprised that Blondie is willingly hugging him despite his upbringing, but all the better for Harry, right?"

"I suppose so," Remus mumbled, his eyebrows furrowed.

"All right, what are you speculating about now?" Sirius sighed and leant his head on his balled fist.

Amber coloured eyes stared at him innocently. "Why would I be speculating?"

"Come off it, Moony. I've known you since our first year. Don't think I don't know when you're thinking about something. That look you're wearing is familiar enough to me," Sirius scoffed. "You were looking that way every time Lily didn't beat up James in our fifth year and you thought that meant she had started to take a liking to Prongs-and you were right in the end," he grudgingly admitted.

"I'm not speculating anything; it's just that…" Remus trailed off, pursing his lips and gazed out of the window absentmindedly.

"It's just that what?" Sirius asked and tapped his fingers on the floor.

"Don't you think that Draco … is very touchy feely with Harry? I mean, for just being best friends, he hugs him a lot," Remus replied hesitantly.

"Well, maybe he just likes to hug Harry a lot. What are you trying to say? That Draco has a crush on Harry?" Sirius asked incredulously, laughing a bit. The idea of a Malfoy having a crush was laughable. Malfoys didn't do crushes. They were too cold and aloof for that.

Of course Malfoys normally didn't hug other people willingly.

Remus just pursed his lips and didn't reply. If he were to be honest, he didn't know what he was trying to say. It did seem as if Draco had a crush on Harry with the way he acted around him, but maybe he was wrong about this assumption? It wasn't as if he had seen Harry and Draco interacting a lot. Maybe the hugging was normal between those two.

* * *

Two weeks later, on the thirtieth of August, Harry woke up with butterflies raging in his stomach. Today he had his first official check-up since he got the news of the pregnancy and he didn't have a clue as to what the check-up entailed. He had never known a pregnant woman-his family made sure he didn't interact a lot with outsiders-so he didn't know what happened during such check-ups. He knew they used an ultrasound to show the baby and check if the baby was all right, but would that happen now or later?

A knock on the door made him look up.

Sirius stuck his head in the doorway and smiled slightly. "Hey, pup, had a nice sleep?" he asked softly and crossed the room and sat down on Harry's bed, who shifted a bit to provide more space.

"I think so," Harry replied and yawned a bit.

Sirius laid a hand on his head and stroked his hair. "Are you ready for today?" he asked awkwardly.

Harry sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked tiredly.

"We're there for you, pup," Sirius muttered. "We'll help you through it."

"Thanks," Harry smiled weakly. "I guess I better get up now."

"Yeah, you still have time for breakfast," Sirius replied and stood up. "I'll see you downstairs."

Harry nodded and slid out of bed, entering his bathroom to take a shower. Since a few weeks his nausea had passed to his great relief, so he didn't have to worry about suddenly leaving the shower to puke his guts out. It had never been a good experience.

After his shower, he changed into a grey shirt and blue jeans and went downstairs where Remus immediately directed him to his breakfast. Because he was eating for two now, his godparents were making sure he ate enough, even going as far to make him some snacks throughout the day to make sure he had enough nutrition.

While he was munching on his buttered toast, he took the paper and was greeted with his picture, taking when he was in London a few weeks ago for grocery shopping. In the picture he was talking to Remus and he had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his hoodie. It had been chilly that day.

Afraid the press somehow had discovered his pregnancy, he immediately read the article.

_Harry Potter still undecided about future work?_

_The summer is reaching its ending, but there is still no news about Harry Potter's decision over his future. Many people are expecting Mister Potter to follow the Auror program, like our sources in Hogwarts told us, but so far his name hasn't appeared on the candidate list. Auror Phillips, who interviews the candidates, was unwilling to confirm whether or not Potter signed up, but an anonymous source in the Ministry told us that Potter's name wasn't listed. May we take this as a confirmation that Potter won't join the Auror ranks? And if so, what is Potter planning to do?_

_Hopefully we will get a personal answer of Mister Potter soon._

Harry snorted disdainfully and threw the paper back on the table. Of course that would be what the press was worrying about - his future job. They all wanted to know what the famous Harry Potter would be doing for the rest of his life. Well, he would like to know that as well.

Defeating Voldemort had made him aversive to chasing other Dark Wizards, so that job option was ruled out. He had thought of maybe purchasing a career in Quidditch or even Healing so that he could still help people, but then came the news of the baby. Even if he could make a decision about what he wanted to do, he wouldn't be able to purchase his dream due to the pregnancy. Even though the baby was unwanted, he wouldn't dream of doing something that could possibly hurt the baby. So Quidditch was ruled out; he could study for Healing, but how would he explain his growing belly when he started studying in September?

Yesterday he had noticed his stomach had acquired a slight swelling, not big enough to make other people realize what really was going on, but the swelling was still there. He would be able to hide his pregnancy for a month or so, but after that, it would be too obvious.

He didn't want the public to know that he was carrying a baby. The press would have a field day, he realized, if they heard about his pregnancy. They would be excited about trying to find out who managed to knock him up and the thought alone made him sick.

So for this year, he wouldn't be able to do anything. He sighed and took a sip of his orange juice. He supposed it wouldn't be bad to take one year off. Maybe it would be good to take a year off to relax-and to think about the baby.

He grimaced and placed his glass back down on the table with a soft thud.

"Don't think about this article too much. Eventually they'll leave you alone if they get nothing," Remus advised him after he had read the article.

"I know, but it still sucks that they can't leave me the bloody hell alone," Harry said through gritted teeth, feeling his annoyance spike up a level.

"Language," Remus admonished him.

Harry pursed his lips, but didn't reply.

"Good morning." Draco entered the kitchen and took the seat next to Harry.

"Hey, Dray," Harry greeted him. "Did you manage to buy all those books you had to from Snape?"

Draco would be starting his apprenticeship with Snape in two days and he had been worried about two books that had been out of stock when he had wanted to buy them. He knew that his apprenticeship with his uncle was a unique opportunity and he had been worried he would lose it if he didn't get all his books on time.

Draco nodded. "Yes, the bookstore sent them to me yesterday. Uncle Severus can't complain-I'm all ready for the apprenticeship," he smirked.

Harry chuckled. "Good luck with that. Better you than me."

Draco tsk'ed. "Uncle Severus isn't that bad, Harry."

"Yeah, right. That's why he got the reputation of being the evil bat." Harry rolled his eyes.

Draco sighed, but didn't reply, knowing it was futile.

"We have to leave now, Harry," Sirius reminded him and he stood up. He glanced at Draco. "Are you coming with us too?"

"Yes, if you don't mind," Draco answered.

Sirius shrugged. "Suit yourself," he muttered and waited until Harry and Draco had entered the living room before following them.

Remus was already there, holding the box with Floo powder. He stuck out the box to Harry and the dark haired boy grabbed a pinch and threw it in the fire, shouting, "Hogwarts' Infirmary."

He felt Draco quickly stepping in the fireplace next to him and before he could question the sudden move, he was sucked into the familiar whirlwind and watched how various rooms flashed by before he stuck out his foot and landed in the Infirmary, stumbling over the heightened floor. Draco was quick to catch him and managed to prevent him from meeting the floor.

"Thanks," Harry murmured and felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Draco smiled softly. "No problem."

The fire flared up again and Remus and Sirius stepped out the fireplace, more gracefully than their godson.

"All right, we're here now. Where's Poppy?" Sirius asked out loud and was rewarded with the sound of heels clicking on the floor.

They turned around and saw the nurse exiting her office. She walked to them with pursed lips. "A bit more patience wouldn't hurt you, Mister Black," she scolded him and then looked over at the boys, surprise flashing across her face when she caught sight of Draco. "Well, good morning, Mister Malfoy. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I'm here for Harry," Draco replied, shifting his stance a bit so that he was leaning more against Harry.

Pomfrey raised an eyebrow. "All right then, Mister Potter, please lie down on the examination table."

Harry took a deep breath and sat down on the examination table, feeling the paper crinkle when he laid down on it. Sirius and Remus sat down on the chairs next to him and Draco chose to stand next to him.

Pomfrey took her wand and muttered a serie of spells. Two lights of blue and green shot out of her wand and enveloped Harry's body, sinking into his skin.

Immediately a chart full of numbers appeared right above Harry's stomach and Pomfrey nodded while she studied it.

"Right, your vitals are perfect and your baby is doing well too," she said satisfied. "That's good news. Now," here she hesitated a bit, "are you ready to see your baby? You're due for a first ultrasound, so I want to do the first one today if you're willing."

Remus and Sirius looked at Harry, silently telling him that it was his choice.

Harry bit his lip and after a moment of thinking, he nodded slowly. "Yes," he answered and the butterflies in his stomach started raging again.

"All right." She nodded. "Raise your shirt please. This spells works best on a bare stomach."

Feeling his cheeks burn for some strange reason, he pushed his shirt up with a trembling hand that fell to his side as soon as he thought he had enough skin bared.

"Declaro natus," she said and a soft purple light shot out of her wand and formed a bubble on Harry's stomach. It stayed there for a few seconds, seemingly absorbing something and then slowly rose up until it was hovering mid air. White smoke filled the bubble and then suddenly disappeared, leaving a grey screen behind.

Pomfrey stuck out her wand and pointed at a particular dark spot on the right side of the screen. "There is your baby, Mister Potter," she said uncharacteristically soft.

Harry heard twin gasps coming from his godparents, but he himself didn't dare to look. For some unknown reason, he couldn't bring himself to look at the screen and see the baby for the first time. How long was Pomfrey planning to show that image?

He started when he felt a cool hand grabbing his own and he looked right into stormy, grey eyes, swirling with an emotion he couldn't name.

"Harry, take a look," Draco whispered and Harry felt himself looking at the screen, his eyes focusing on the black spot.

Was that his baby? That tiny, dark spot? Even with the proof right in front of his eyes, Harry had trouble believing that was his baby. It was _so_ small. Was that normal?

"Don't startle now; I'm going to let you hear your baby's heartbeat," Pomfrey murmured and with another wave of her wand, the room was suddenly filled with a soft but quick _thump,_ _thump_ sound.

Over and over again. _Thump,_ _thump._ _Thump,_ _thump_. _Thump,_ _thump._

Harry felt something rising in his chest, making its way up through his throat and he found he had difficulty with breathing. His vision got blurry and he realized that tears were silently making their way across his cheeks.

He felt Sirius wiping away his tears and heard him asking what was wrong, but the only thing he could focus on was the screen.

That was his baby there. His baby that was growing inside his stomach. Why did that make him feel weird? Why was he feeling like this, all confused, but not resentful? He had thought he would have hated the baby when he saw it on the ultrasound, but he couldn't bring himself to muster up the hate. Even the feeling of resentfulness was not present. What was he feeling then? Why couldn't he hate the baby?

Unbeknownst to Harry, Draco was studying his face, eager to catch up any glimpse of reaction to the baby.

He still couldn't believe that he was seeing his baby now for the first time. He had feared Harry would refuse the ultrasound and was relieved when the young man had consented. And he was relieved Harry had taken him with him for the check-up. It was … There were no words to describe how he was feeling now. The sound of their baby's heartbeat was extremely comforting and Draco found he had difficulties deciding who to study more: Harry or his baby. It was now real. Before the ultrasound he had thought about the baby, but it hadn't felt real. Now however, seeing his unborn child and listening to his or her heartbeat … It made it all feel more real.

That was really _his_ baby that was growing inside Harry, his baby that was waiting for the day it could be born.

Without realizing it, he squeezed Harry's hand and felt him squeezing back softly.

He wondered if this was how all future fathers felt when they got to see their child for the first time. It was easily one of the best feelings he had ever experienced.

He watched how Harry was staring intently at the screen and saw how little tear droplets made their way across his pale cheeks. Harry was biting his lips now and his eyes were cloudy with different kinds of emotions, each one flashing by too quickly for Draco to understand them.

Was it bad of him to hope that Harry would decide to keep the baby, now that he had seen him or her and heard his or her heartbeat?

* * *

While Draco and Harry were occupied with staring at the screen, Remus was studying the blond. He didn't know how to classify Draco's look, but if he had to be honest, he would say his face resembled that of James when he had first seen the baby through an ultrasound. The face of a proud father to be.

He shook his head. It was ridiculous of him to compare Draco's face to that of James. There was no resemblance between them. The thought alone was too ridiculous to even consider.

Maybe he was reading too much into Draco's actions like Sirius had suggested earlier.

Either way after this visit, he knew his family had a lot to talk about.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a warning: a bit of angst, but nothing else that requires a special warning
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 9**

_30th of August_

"Draco, would you mind returning home? We need to talk to Harry," Remus spoke up as the first one when they all arrived back in the house.

An uncomfortable silence had fallen between them all from the moment the ultrasound had been up there for everyone to see. Sirius and Remus had had mixed feelings about the ultrasound. On the one hand, they thought Harry shouldn't have to go through this, getting ultrasounds and check-ups, but on the other hand they couldn't help but feel amazed when they saw their godson's baby. It had something magical, seeing the baby while it was still growing inside Harry, but they also knew it was time to talk with Harry about the baby. They didn't want to push the young man, but the time was slowly approaching to get an answer.

Draco looked ready to protest, but after glancing at Harry's face and seemingly seeing a response, he sighed and nodded. "Call me when you want to talk," he muttered to Harry, who nodded back and bit his lip.

With a last wave, Draco threw some Floo powder in the fireplace, shouted, "Malfoy manor," and was gone with a green flash.

"Why don't we sit down?" Remus suggested after a short, awkward silence. He and Sirius chose the couch near the fireplace while Harry chose the armchair placed across from the couch.

"So what do you need to talk about?" Harry asked, trying to calm down his nerves. His hands were clenched around the small package that Pomfrey had given him; it contained various pictures of his unborn child.

Remus bent forwards and carefully extracted the package, placing it on the table. "We want to talk to you about the baby," he began hesitatingly and glanced at Sirius who nodded.

Harry eyed them warily. "What about the baby?"

"Have you thought about what you're going to do with your baby?" Sirius took over and clasped his hands in his lap to prevent them from fiddling. It was ridiculous to feel nervous about this. He was an adult; he had no reason to be afraid of his godson. Except that he could be as bitchy as Lily when the mood took over. Especially now that he was pregnant.

Harry stiffened and avoided their eyes, starting to fiddle with his hands. "I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet," he muttered.

"Well, we were thinking that if you decided to give your baby up for adoption, we could, you know, adopt it. If that's okay with you," Sirius hurried to propose and bit on his lip, an uncharacteristic show of nervousness.

He stared at them in shock. "You would adopt it?"

"Only if that's okay with you, cub," Remus assured him.

"But why?"

The two friends glanced at each other again and Sirius gave a tiny nod, urging Remus to explain why.

"We thought it would be best if we raised your child instead of some stranger. Then you will know for sure that nothing will happen with your baby," Remus explained. "But if you don't want that, we'll understand that. We just thought we would let you know, so that you still have that option."

"Is it okay if I think about it?" Harry asked in a small voice, rubbing his forehead.

Sirius nodded. "Of course, take all the time you need."

"I'm going to my room," Harry muttered and stood up. "I want to read a bit."

Unconsciously he grabbed the package of the table and with it, he made his way to his room, flopping down on the bed when he arrived there. His snake who had been sleeping on the windowsill, bathing in the warm sunlight, slithered on his bed and curled up on his stomach, resting his head on his slightly protruding belly.

"What is that?" he hissed, his eyes looking at the package.

Harry sighed. "Pictures of the baby," he hissed back. Baby sounded like youngling in Parseltongue.

"You can already see your baby even when it's still inside of you?" Akeyra sounded surprised.

"Yes, it's something that's regularly done in human pregnancies," he muttered and opened the package, holding one picture against the light shining through the window. He cocked his head a bit to the right and squinted. If he looked at it in this position, he could make out something dark which was supposed to represent the baby. _How weird_.

"You don't sound too happy with that," Akeyra remarked and his tongue came out to taste the air. "I thought you humans were happy whenever you see a baby?"

"Yes well, my pregnancy is a bit more complicated than that." Lines appeared on his forehead. "It's not like this was something I chose for." Bitterness coloured his voice.

"You don't want the baby?" Akeyra rose up a bit and his upper body swung from left to right.

"I don't know yet. That's the problem. I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to keep it," he confessed. He took another picture and did the same to it as the former one. Maybe he should have asked Pomfrey to draw a circle around the baby or something. It was hell to try and figure out which spot was his baby. How could Pomfrey see the baby without any problems? Was there some kind of method to do that?

"Your mate seems happy with it." The snake surprised him, mentioning that and he dropped the pictures on the bed, staring at his pet snake who stared calmly back.

"My mate? I don't have a mate," Harry replied confused.

Akeyra slid of him and curled up on the bed, his head resting on his body now, allowing Harry to sit up and lean against his pillows. He kicked off his shoes and stretched his legs out.

"The light haired one who's always with you," Akeyra clarified. "He's the one taking care of you, no?"

His cheeks flushed when he understood that the snake was talking about Draco. "Eh no, he isn't my mate," he chuckled nervously. "He's my best friend."

The snake stared at him and it made him shift a bit nervously.

"I recognize his scent," Akeyra finally said. "It's the scent only mates give off."

"You must be mistaken." Harry shook his head. There was no way Draco thought of him in that kind of way. That was just too preposterous. He may be his best friend, but he was certain he wasn't Draco's type in the romantic kind of way. Of course he didn't know what type Draco preferred, because they had never talked about it, but he suspected it was someone who had the same upbringing as him and who would fit in immediately in the high circles the Malfoys occupied. Someone like him wouldn't be able to do that. The Purebloods may be impressed with his fame and power, but eventually it would all come down to his blood and upbringing and those weren't pure enough for them.

"I am never mistaken," Akeyra replied coldly. "Being a snake does not mean that I am in any way stupid. I know what I smell and his smell is that of a mate."

Harry winced. Apparently he had hit a nerve with his denial. He hadn't meant to offend his friend, but the idea of Draco regarding him as a 'mate' especially in the condition he was in, was too unbelievable to even think about.

"I didn't mean to imply you were stupid-I know you're not," he hurried to say. "It's just that I have difficulties believing that's the way he smells. It's just too preposterous to think that Draco would ever see me like that. Especially with what I'm carrying now." He helplessly gestured to his belly.

Akeyra blinked slowly. "Why would you have difficulties? It's obvious you are mates."

He opened his mouth, but closed it again when he couldn't think of a way to explain to his snake that his bond with Draco was something else than that of lovers. He flushed a bit when he thought of that.

"Ask him when you see him and you'll hear I'm right." Akeyra sounded a bit smug.

"Maybe I will," Harry muttered and watched how Akeyra closed his eyes and fell asleep again. He would wake up in another four hours to hunt for his food, Harry knew. It was a routine of him.

Absently his fingers came up to rest on the stone hanging on the cord around his neck and he stilled. He was still wearing Marc's necklace. His hand clenched around it and with one harsh tug, the necklace broke and he brought his hand back down, the stone hidden in his closed fist. Looking down on the pictures of the baby, he made a sudden decision and he stood up, leaving his room to get an empty box of the attic. When he came back with it, he threw the stone in it without looking at it anymore and then started going around his room, collecting every picture, letters and little gifts Marc had given him during the time they were together.

When the box was filled with it, he went with it to the backyard, ignoring his family's questioning gazes and he placed it on the grass, grabbing his wand and pointing at it.

"Cub, what are you going to …"

"Destructo!" Harry snapped and the box shattered, a few shards of a destroyed stone falling a few feet further and scraps of parchment flying through the air.

On the place where the box had stood, was now a black spot that appeared to smoke a bit.

"Oops, I put a bit too much power behind it, I guess," Harry muttered and walked back in the house, up to his room.

"So …" Sirius began casually and Remus stared at him with wide eyes, still trying to comprehend what Harry had just done. "How much do you want to bet that that asshole's stuff was in that box?"

Remus just stared at him, shaking his head.

* * *

Harry sat back down on his bed and took a deep breath. That had felt … good. It had felt _wonderful_ to blow up that bastard's stuff. It had kind of a therapeutic feeling to it. Now that all the little trinkets that reminded him of Marc were gone, he could start anew.

His hand gripping the only locket left around his neck-the Malfoy crest-he stared pensively at the pictures of the baby, spread out before him on the bedspread.

So looking back at his check-up he concluded that try as he might, he wasn't able to hate the baby as he thought he could. That left wondering what he really felt about the child. And his family's offer of adopting it. It was … thoughtful of them, he supposed, to make an offer like that. Certainly if they adopted the baby, he would know for sure that the baby would be treated and raised well. He didn't want his baby to have the life he had had with the Dursleys. No child deserved his mother's family. But … he would see the baby practically every day then, supposing he continued living here. Would he be able to handle that? Seeing his child every day and knowing he would be like an uncle to his own baby? Would he start to resent his own godparents for being parents to his son or daughter? He didn't want to resent them.

He frowned. Why was he contemplating this? Wasn't adoption the best solution for his baby? It wasn't as if he was ready to be a father (or mother depending on how you looked at it) already on his age. And the way the baby had come into existence wasn't exactly a wonderful memory. Not to mention he didn't have a clue on how to act as a parent. It wasn't as if he had had wonderful examples when he grew up. Of course he had Remus and Sirius now, but that wasn't the same as having real parents.

So looking at all those reasons, adoption was the best idea for both of them. He wouldn't be reminded of _that_ memory and his baby would have a good upbringing, better than he could provide. It was a win-win situation for both him and the baby.

So why was he hesitating? Why wasn't he going downstairs to announce he would let his baby get adopted? What was stopping him?

Awkwardly he placed his hand underneath his shirt, touching his small bump for the first time willingly. His hand was still big enough to cover the whole bump, but that would soon change. His thumb traced circles while his other hand picked up one of the pictures. Studying it, he tried to imagine his life without the baby or acting as an uncle towards it. His stomach contracted at that thought. Acting like an uncle while knowing full well it was his own child … Hearing his son or daughter saying 'daddy' to someone else, someone who was _not him_ … Would he be able to do that? Or would he regret the choice of adoption later in his life?

That was the one thing that kept him from announcing his decision. What if he regretted giving up the baby? Once he gave up his daughter or son he wouldn't be able to see it again, except when he chose for Remus and Sirius. And even then he would have to give the baby up. He either was the daddy or the uncle, but he couldn't be both. He couldn't be the father one day and then the uncle next if the baby remembered him of the rape.

He had only one chance to make the ultimate decision. He was tempted to put if off until the birth, but he knew that wasn't an option. He needed to make a decision before then, but it was so _hard_. Keeping the baby and adoption each had it up and down sides. The thing that kept him from deciding on adoption was the possible regret in the future and the thing that kept him from keeping it was the fear of fucking it up as a parent.

What if he was horrible as a father? What if he screwed it up? If he had had a partner who was the other father, he wouldn't have had such a big fear he suspected. At least then he would have help from someone else. Of course Draco had offered his help, but he couldn't possibly monopolize Draco's time. Draco had a life besides him and it wouldn't be fair to keep him from it only to have some support and help with the baby.

Harry thought back on the conversation he had had with Akeyra. The snake said Draco gave off the smell of a mate. Did he mean that in the literal sense as in a lover? Or just as a partner in general?

He felt his cheeks burning, but he forced himself to think about it. If Draco saw him in a romantic kind of way, how would he react?

He groaned and fell backwards on the bed. This was getting so confusing! Why should he care in what kind of way Draco saw him? He had more reasons to reject that idea than to embrace it. The baby for one. How could Draco ever want him, knowing that he was carrying a baby from some unknown man? Marc hadn't and he had claimed to love him. If his own boyfriend didn't want him in this state, then why would his best friend want him like that?

Sure, he had said he would stay by his side the whole time, but …

Harry shook his head, stroking the strands of black hair out of his face and stared at the white ceiling. He would ask Draco next time what he thought of him. Only then he would know for certain what Draco felt for him and make this turmoil unnecessary. He would think about Draco after that conversation then, when he knew all the facts. Thinking about it now would only add more stress.

So the baby … What was he going to do?

* * *

_10th of September_

With a tired groan, Draco fell into his comfortable armchair that was placed next to one of the large windows in his bedroom. The fire in his fireplace changed from the spitting green to the normal crackling, red colour. His first week of studying as an apprentice underneath Severus' guidance had been exhausting. Severus was even more stern than in his classes and expected well-made potions from the first try. Despite the fact that he had a natural talent when it came to potions, he had been sweating and working harder than all the previous years combined. It was obvious that Severus wasn't planning on going easy on him even if he was his godson.

But that was fine. He had accepted the apprenticeship, because he knew he would not get a better chance than that. There was no other Potions Master who was on the same level as his godfather and he knew this was a golden opportunity. He would be the only one who could claim the title of best Potions Master after Severus retired, because he wouldn't settle for less than that. And his uncle wouldn't expect anything less either.

Glancing at the clock, he grimaced in dismay when he saw he had missed dinner _again_. He had hoped to arrive home on time to have dinner with his mother, but a mishap with the sequence of potion ingredients had kept him longer in Severus' office than he would have liked. He could make it up to his mum tomorrow. It was Friday now and though his uncle could be a slave driver when he wanted to, he was not that bad he wouldn't give Draco the weekends off. Maybe he could even squeeze in a visit to Harry tomorrow.

He hadn't had the time to visit his friend again since the school year started due to the huge workload Severus gave him. But if he did a night shift with his homework today, he would have a few hours free tomorrow that he could spend with Harry.

Thinking of Harry made he wonder whether the young man would find it strange if he asked for a picture of the baby. He sighed wistfully. He knew Harry had received a package with the ultrasounds of the baby in their last visit, but he hadn't had the time to ask for a copy before Lupin had asked him to leave. But would find Harry it strange if he wanted a copy? He _had_ said he would be there for him and the baby, so wasn't it normal that he wanted to have a copy too to look at?

He groaned. This was so confusing to think about.

The hissing of the fire made him jump and he turned around in his chair, standing up and kneeling down in front of the fireplace when Harry's head floated in the fire.

"Good evening, Harry," he smiled, pleasantly surprised to see his best friend now.

Harry frowned. "You look tired as hell, Dray. Are you sleeping enough?" he asked concerned.

Draco snorted. "Look who's talking. You look like you haven't slept much either," he pointed out when he saw the light bags underneath Harry's eyes.

"It's nothing, just been thinking a lot," Harry replied, waving away the concern directed at him.

"You know that has never been your strongest suit, Harry," Draco teased him, smiling and delighted in the narrowed eyes of the black haired man.

"Hanging around Snape isn't doing wonders to your social skills," he huffed.

"My social skills are fine. It's not my fault the truth hurts," Draco smirked.

"Bastard."

"Thank you. I do try my best."

Harry scowled at him, but didn't deign him with a reply.

Draco frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you think there's something wrong?" Harry asked evasively.

"Harry, don't insult me. I can see that there is something on your mind. What is it? Did something happen to the baby?" Draco asked, masking his panic. How would he be able to cope if he knew that something had happened to his child?

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, seemingly confused. "No, there is nothing wrong with the baby. Everything's fine with it."

Draco exhaled slowly in relief. "Then what happened?"

Harry bit his lip and was silent for a moment. When Draco opened his mouth to repeat his question, Harry muttered, "Can I come over?"

Draco blinked. "Yes, sure. No problem." He stood up and took a few steps back, making room for Harry to arrive.

Ten seconds later, the fire turned green again and Harry came stumbling onto the dark blue carpet, Draco catching him in his arms on time.

"Merlin, you're such a dunce when it comes to Flooing," Draco muttered, shaking his head.

Harry scowled. "Oh shut up."

"Great comeback." Draco rolled his eyes and led Harry to the two armchairs near the windows. They both took a seat and Draco turned to look at Harry.

"So what's wrong?" He suddenly became distracted when his eyes caught the sight of Harry's neck. "Hey, you're only wearing the Malfoy crest," he commented surprised, but was secretly pleased to see Harry bare of that bastard's necklace, but still wearing a necklace of his family.

A tanned hand flew up to his throat and Harry rubbed the skin there. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "I decided to get rid of his stuff."

"Good for you." Draco nodded satisfied. "But I don't think that's what you were coming here for," he remarked dryly, but inwardly he squirmed. Harry looked pale and very serious and a feeling of unease rose up in his stomach. Had Harry somehow discovered what he had done? No, that was impossible. The potion had made sure to wipe his memory and he had destroyed the notes. So if it wasn't that, what was making Harry so worried?

"A while ago I was … talking to Akeyra," Harry began uneasily and his eyes swerved from Draco's attentive face to the furniture and trinkets in the room.

Harry had been here a handful of times before and each time he was still surprised with how warm and welcome Draco's bedroom felt. Most of the rooms in the Malfoy manor had a cold distant feeling about them, but Draco's room was one of the few who had escaped the cold and had entered the warmth. But everything was still fitted for someone with his fortune and name of course. The four poster bed almost took the whole length of one wall and dark green draperies with silver lining hid the pillows and sheets from view. His dark cherry wooden desk was filled with books about potions and arithmancy and parchment was neatly stacked on top of each other in the middle of the desk, a feather and ink waiting next to it. His wardrobe was across from the bed and was a walk in. Harry couldn't imagine the amount of clothes and shoes that filled that large wardrobe. His trunk used for school was placed right next to his desk and was still closed.

"Harry?" Draco raised an eyebrow when Harry fell silent.

The young man was startled and he looked back at the blond. "Oh yeah, eh, so I was talking to Akeyra."

"And?" Draco spurred him on, now really curious. What had his snake to do with him?

"And he said something weird."

"What?"

"He said that you gave off the smell of a … mate." Harry squirmed restlessly on his chair and didn't dare to look Draco in the eyes, choosing instead to stare at his hands, that he was wringing together in his lap.

"A mate," Draco repeated blankly and Harry nodded. "In what kind of sense?"

"Something like a lover I think. At least that's what snakes understand under that term," Harry replied softly and rubbed the back of his neck.

Silence rang in the room and Harry swallowed. Well, this was awkward. If Akeyra was wrong, then why didn't Draco say anything? Wave it away or laugh it off. Why was he silent?

Eventually Harry gathered all his courage and looked up. He was taken back by the intense look that Draco was directing at him.

"What would you do if I told you that Akeyra is right?" he asked calmly, as if he was asking about the weather. However, his hands were clenched around the arms of his chair and the way he tilted his head let Harry know that he was extremely nervous.

"I-I …" Harry stammered, not knowing how he should react. Yes, what if Akeyra was right? What if Draco wanted him in the romantic sense? What should he do now? What should he feel?

Asking Draco had clearly not made his turmoil easier. In fact, it had gotten worse with what ifs and buts.

He felt something bumping his hand and he saw a pale hand reaching forwards, grabbing his chin softly and pulling his head up until he looked straight into grey eyes that were swirling with all kinds of emotions: excitement, fear, happiness, wariness. As if hypnotized he stayed seated, watching how Draco came nearer and nearer until they were breathing in each other's mouth. Until they were so close, Harry could count the blond eyelashes adorning grey eyes if he wanted to. Draco mouthed something against his lips and right when those soft lips touched his own, when he could feel the soft pressure Draco put behind the kiss, a knock sounded on the door.

"Draco, are you here?" Narcissa called out and they both flew apart, both faces flushing red. Before either of them could say anything, the door opened and Narcissa entered the room, looking surprised when she noticed Harry.

"Oh, Harry, dear, I didn't know you were here," she smiled. "Well, all the better. Why don't you join me and Draco for dinner? Or did you eat already?"

"Eh, no, I haven't eaten anything yet." Harry cleared his throat and stood up hastily. "But I don't want to impose, I'm sure you and Draco have a lot to talk about after his first week as Snape's apprentice." He had to get out of here before he would collapse. This was not how he had envisioned the conversation to go. He hadn't expected Draco to practically confess his feelings and he definitely hadn't expected that kiss. Well almost kiss, considering they were interrupted. Which was good, no? The interruption had been good. At least that's what he told himself. So many feelings were clashing with each other. He needed to get alone now, so that he could think properly.

Unfortunately he hadn't counted in Narcissa's determination. She waved away his concern and said, "Don't worry, Draco and I would be happy to have you stay at dinner, won't we, darling?"

"Yes, no problem." Draco still sounded a bit breathless, but whether or not his mother heard it, was a good question. Outwardly she didn't show anything.

"Besides I'm curious as to what you have been up to, Harry. It's been too long since we last saw each other," she added and beckoned the boys to follow her.

Avoiding grey eyes that were staring a hole in his head, he sighed softly and followed Narcissa, knowing he would only offend her if he kept refusing.

They arrived in the dining room where an elf was putting up the last plate.

"Because it is so late already, I asked for a simple dinner," Narcissa explained the light course of fluffy baked potatoes, fresh salad and roasted chicken.

They sat down at the table the Malfoys used when they had not many guests to entertain and an awkward moment arose when a house elf wanted to pour wine in Harry's glass and the young man refused it, asking instead for apple juice.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "Harry, sweetie, are you sure you don't want any wine? You're legal to drink it now contrarily to last Christmas." Her mouth pulled up in an amused smile. The boys had sneaked two bottles of wine to Draco's bedroom on Christmas evening and had completely emptied it with the result of a heavy hangover the next morning for which Narcissa refused to give them a potion, claiming it would be a lesson for them to keep to the limit.

Harry's cheeks reddened a bit and he stared helplessly at Draco, forgetting the kiss for a moment. Draco raised an eyebrow and gave a minuscule nod towards his mother as if to say that he could tell her.

"It's … I can't drink alcohol now," Harry mumbled, feeling embarrassed. With all the emotional turmoil he had been going through since he had gotten the news of his pregnancy, he had forgotten that Narcissa didn't know anything of the baby. Her last visit had been before his visit to Pomfrey and he hadn't seen her again until tonight.

Narcissa blinked, furrowing her eyebrows. "Why not? I can hardly imagine you turned into an alcoholic who's now forbidding to drink."

Draco snorted and took a sip of his own wine. "Hardly. He's pregnant."

"Draco!" Harry hissed and glared at him. He had wanted to tell her on his own terms. Now the blond had dropped the bomb and how was he going to explain everything without confusing her? She didn't even know he had broken up with Marc.

"Oh? Well, that's … surprising." Narcissa cleared her throat and her pale cheeks were a bit flushed. "How far along are you?"

"Four months," Harry replied and shifted a bit on his chair, his hunger disappearing completely.

"I didn't know you were already trying with Marc for children. I'm not judging you, but isn't it a bit … early to have a child?" she asked hesitatingly. Sure, she had pegged Harry as a type who wanted to have children soon, but this soon? He was barely out of school. Of course she wasn't mad at him and if he really wanted a child so soon, that was his right, but she was thoroughly confused. If she did the math right then Harry had gotten pregnant during the school year. So that's why he had been nauseous when they had used that Portkey. She could have slapped herself for her stupidity. How could she have not seen it before? She had had exactly the same symptoms when she was pregnant with Draco. Not many pregnant people could handle a Portkey well and she should have known the real cause of Harry's nausea that time.

"Marc is not the father." The young man brought her out of her musings with a shock with that admission.

She stared at him surprised and when she looked at Draco, he seemed to have gained a hard glint in his eyes. Knowing that her son would never be able to be mad at Harry whatever he did, she put the pieces together quickly. Marc was not the father and Harry had been reluctant to tell the truth. If Harry had decided from the start he wanted the child he wouldn't have been confused when he felt that nausea; he would have been more excited when Draco told her the truth and wouldn't have gotten angry at her son for telling her. Her son was mad at something or most likely someone.

Her hand flew up to her mouth to cover her gasp, but Harry still flinched, looking down at his plate, confirming her suspicion.

"Oh, you poor thing," she breathed out and in a few strides, she was standing next to him, gathering him in her arms. "Did they catch the one who attacked you?"

It was Draco who answered, because it seemed that Harry wasn't willing to talk, though he embraced her back. "No, that man used some kind of memory charm. Harry can't remember anything that happened when that attack occurred." His voice was icy calm, but his anger showed through.

"Oh, you don't deserve this, darling," Narcissa cooed and stroked the unruly, black hair that she had tried so many times to tame with spells. Her response was a tightening of his arms around her waist. "It will be okay, you'll see. If you need help, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you." Harry's voice sounded small, but his gratitude was clear through his voice.

Vaguely she wondered why that coward would have used a pregnancy potion on the boy also, but she dismissed that when Harry pulled back and wiped his eyes.

"I take it you haven't decided what to do with the baby next?" she murmured.

Harry shook his head. "I'm still thinking about it," he mumbled, sounding exhausted.

She nodded. "Take all the time you need. If you need someone to talk to, you can always come to me."

She gave him another hug, knowing he needed it now.

* * *

After an awkward dinner, Narcissa had sent them back upstairs, promising hot chocolate and some cookies while they talked.

"Harry," Draco began, but the other boy didn't seem to listen to him.

"You know, it's already very late and I shouldn't have intruded upon you like that," he babbled and nervously wringed his hands together while walking to the fireplace. "I think I'm going home now and rest a bit you know? I'm a bit tired. But thank your mother for the dinner, it was good." He took a pinch of Floo powder out of the jar next to the fireplace.

Draco calmly took his wand and muttered the spell that closed off his fireplace for Flooing. Harry whipped around and stared at him like a deer caught in headlights.

"Eh, Draco, what's the meaning of this?" he asked nervously and took another step to the fireplace, but still faced the blond man.

"You and I need to talk," Draco explained and sat down in his armchair. "Sit down."

"You just can't order me around like I'm a dog," Harry fussed, but one intimidating glance of Draco and he sat meekly down, casting his gaze to his knees.

"You never gave me an answer." Draco placed one leg over the other and calmly stared at Harry, though inwardly a heavy turmoil of all kinds of feelings was raging in his stomach. He had kissed him. _Kissed him_. And if his mother hadn't interrupted, who knew what had happened next. Would Harry have kissed back? He certainly hadn't been pushing him away. Was that a good sign? Or had he just been too startled to do anything? What was going to happen now?

That was the question Draco feared the most. He had never once hinted to Harry that he felt more than friendship for him. In fact, there was a good chance that he would never have done something if Harry hadn't asked him that question. But did he really smell like a mate to a snake? That was a disturbing, yet exciting thought.

But what would happen next was put in Harry's hands. If Harry didn't want more from him than friendship, he would give it to him, but he would always been secretly wanting him. Would that be satisfying enough for him? Living the rest of his life as his best friend, instead of something more? But he couldn't just abandon Harry, because Harry didn't return his feelings. That wasn't Harry's fault. Either he felt something for him or not, but that wasn't something Draco could change in his favour.

"Do you really feel something for me?" Harry's soft spoken question drew him back out of his musings and he stared at the young man, whose face was hidden underneath black hair.

Draco nodded silently, not sure if his voice was up for saying it out loud. His mouth suddenly felt dry.

Harry shifted on the cushion of his chair. "How long?"

Draco licked his lips and answered, "About a year and half now."

"Why did you never say anything to me?"

"I-I didn't want to screw up our friendship. We had just started out as friends and I didn't want to chase you away. And I wasn't sure if you were gay or not. I had no desire to get rejected to be honest," he muttered. This time he was the one looking at his lap.

"Why me?"

"I don't know why." Draco took a deep breath. "Does it matter? If you need a list, then sorry, but I can't give one. I don't know why I fell for you, it just happened."

"Do you still want me?"

Draco stared at Harry incredulously, who was biting his lower lip, making it redden more in the progress. "I just kissed you. Isn't that enough evidence that I want you? And why wouldn't I still want you?"

"Because I'm pregnant?" Harry's answer came out like a question instead. "If even Marc didn't want me anymore, then why would you?" He was honestly confused. Why would Draco, who could everyone in the world if he wanted to, want him, pregnant with another man's child? It just didn't make sense.

"And?" Draco asked impatiently. "Didn't I say I will support you with the baby?"

"Well yeah, but …"

"Then what's the problem?" Draco interrupted him. "I want you and I have no problems acting as a father to the baby if you want to keep him or her."

Speechlessly, Harry stared at him. He didn't know what to say or how to react. With a painful tug at his heart, he realized that this was the reaction he had hoped to get from Marc. How come that Draco was able to act like a father if it was necessary when he hadn't been together with Harry while Marc couldn't?

"Listen, I know that this has been a lot to take in for you, so why don't you go home and think about it?" Draco suggested and stood up, activating the Floo again with a whip of his wand. "And when you're ready to give me your answer, let me know. I'll be waiting for you."

"O-okay," Harry stammered and stood up, feeling his legs wobbling. Praying he wouldn't collapse, he walked over to the fireplace where Draco was leaning against the wall.

Right before Harry stepped into the Floo, Draco gave him a quick but hard kiss on his mouth, gripping his hand tightly. "Whatever you decide, I'll be there for you," he whispered and before Harry could react, he was swallowed up in green fire and in a daze he stepped out in the living room.

Sirius, who was seated on the couch with a magazine on his lap, raised an eyebrow. "Harry? Where did you go?"

Harry stared at him dazed and Sirius stood up, walking cautiously over to him.

"Harry, are you all right?" he asked concerned and his hands stretched out to grab Harry's shoulders.

"I don't know." Harry heard himself mutter.

What was he going to do now?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As warnings for this chapter: some angst and Harry makes his decision about the baby
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 10**

_10th of September_

Sirius frowned. "What do you mean 'you don't know'? What happened?"

Harry shook his head and looked around. "Where's Remus?"

"He's preparing himself for the full moon," Sirius answered and steered Harry to the couch, pushing him down. "Now care to tell me where you have been and what happened to you? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm not hurt," Harry murmured and pulled his legs up to his chest, but loosened the hold around his knees when he grew uncomfortable around his stomach. Right, the bump.

His godfather sat down next to him. "Then what happened?"

Harry bit his lip, not certain whether to tell Sirius or not. How would he react? But seeing as he needed to get it off his chest and he didn't want to burden Remus on the night of the full moon, he took a deep breath. "I went to Draco a few hours ago."

"Okay." Sirius nodded slowly and settled himself against the back of the couch, not taking his eyes off of his godson.

"I-I wanted to talk to him about something Akeyra said," Harry continued, squirming a bit on the couch.

"What did Akeyra say to you?"

"He said that Dracosmelledlikeamate," Harry said in one rush of breath and felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment. His pet snake had been right all along apparently, giving what had happened today.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." Sirius blinked confused. "Repeat that again, please."

"Akeyra said that Draco smelled like my mate," Harry repeated and his face turned even redder, which was quite a feat in his opinion.

"A … mate. Like just a partner or like you know …" Sirius trailed off, uncomfortable with the word lover.

"A mate as in 'lover'," Harry mumbled and turned his gaze to his knees, finding the faded colour of his jeans very interesting all the sudden. Damn it, maybe he should have waited until Remus was available again to discuss this. Remus was better with these sort of things than Sirius. At least he knew Remus well enough to be certain of the fact that the man would stay calm.

"Oh." Sirius cleared his throat. "So eh, how did Draco react?"

"He, eh, …" Harry trailed off, feeling his cheeks burn at the memory of Draco kissing him. _Actually kissing him_. Not on the cheek or forehead, but on his mouth. Absentmindedly his fingers came up to trace his lips, imagining he could still feel the soft pressure of Draco's lips on his.

"Harry?"

"He … kissed me," Harry admitted hesitatingly.

Silence reigned for a few minutes before Sirius opened his mouth.

"What? He kissed you?" he asked incredulously and unconsciously balled one of his fists. Of all the things he had anticipated that his godson would have answered, this wasn't one of them. Blondie kissing his godson was one of the last things he would have expected to happen. Since when was Blondie gay? Or crushing on Harry? Was he even truthful about his feelings or was he only out to play with Harry's feelings? If that was the case, it would be the last thing that Malfoy would ever do.

Harry nodded, biting his lip again. When a rusty taste filled his mouth, he immediately stopped biting his lower lip and started to softly suckle at it, to make the bleeding stop. "Yes; he said he's been crushing on me for more than a year now," he mumbled, staring at the fire that was gently crackling in the background.

Speechlessly, Sirius just stared at the dark haired boy, for once not being able to come up with a good retort. How come he had never noticed that before?

With a sinking feeling he realized that this meant Remus had been right about Draco. Well damn it. One more thing his friend could be smug about. As if all those other times hadn't been enough.

"And how do you, you know, feel about him?" he broke the silence again with an awkward wave of his hand.

Harry sighed and let his head fall on the back of the couch, one of his hands coming up to rub over his tired eyes. "I don't know. I mean, I like him, but I don't know if I like him as a friend or you know, like him a bit more than that," he replied, feeling uncomfortable. "Should I like him more than as a friend? Am I allowed to feel more?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow at the last question. "Why wouldn't you be allowed to feel more?" he questioned curiously and shifted a bit so that he could drag his hand through Harry's unruly hair. "If you like him more than as a friend, then I'd say …" He hesitated a bit and looked away with a sigh, before continuing, "Go for it. Just make sure that he's not out to hurt you, all right? Be sure that he really wants to be with you like that and that he's not doing it as a way of … I don't know; as a way to hurt you. Because if he does hurt you," his eyes gained a harsh glint, "I will know and I'll make sure he's going to regret ever hurting you for the rest of his life."

Harry stared at him in wonder. "Since when did you get so mature?" he asked with a weak smile. "I thought for sure that you were going to jump up and go to Malfoy Manor to curse Draco."

"Trust me, that was my first instinct," Sirius admitted sheepishly. "But I guess Moony has been rubbing off on me after all those years. Don't say that to him though. He will expect me to act mature all the time then."

Harry laughed softly and placed his head on Sirius' shoulders, feeling one of his godfather's arms coming around him to hug him. "He says he'll be the baby's daddy if I decide to keep it," he whispered, one of his own hands coming up to rest at his small bump.

Sirius exhaled slowly. "Really? That boy is full of surprises," he muttered and then scowled. "Damn it, he's really making it hard for me to dislike him."

"Why would you hate him now? I thought you liked him," Harry asked confused.

"It's my job as godfather to dislike any partner you get together with," Sirius stated drily, grinning when he heard Harry chuckle.

"Well, who knows? Maybe you don't have to dislike him. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do," Harry admitted with a sigh. "Although I guess it's a relief to know that he would act as the baby's father."

Sirius looked down, but the boy wasn't looking at him. "Have you already decided what to do with the baby?" he asked softly.

"No, I-I'm still debating what I should do," the boy admitted.

"Well, take your time. But if I had to say something, I'd say follow your heart," Sirius muttered. "Don't follow your brain if it will make you miserable later on in life. With this, you get only one chance to make a right decision. Just know that whatever you decide, Remus and I will be there to help you. And Draco apparently too."

Harry just nodded, squeezing his eyes shut.

Silence enveloped the pair again and they stayed seated for a while like that, Harry relaxing slowly at hearing the rhythmic beating of Sirius' heart and the soft crackle of the fire.

Eventually, Sirius removed his arm and Harry sat up straight, the older man doing the same. "Looks like it's almost time," the Animagus sighed softly and looked over at Harry. "I'll be joining Remus in a few minutes. You know what to do right?"

"Yes, stay in my room with the door and window locked just in case, have my wand nearby and don't come out until you say so. When it's morning, help Remus take a bath and give him the potions that are placed on the top shelf in his bedroom," Harry recited from memory. From the moment he had started living with his godfather and his best friend, Sirius and Remus had made sure he knew what was expected of him during the full moons. Maybe when he was older, they would teach him how to become an Animagus, but for now he would have to be kept safe.

Sirius ruffled his hair with a sad smile. "Good boy. Sleep well."

Harry nodded and stood up. "You and Remus be careful, all right?"

"Of course we will," Sirius assured him and Harry yawned a bit, turning around to leave the room.

* * *

Half an hour later, after he had done the necessary preparations and he had just slipped in his bed, the loud howling of a wolf could be heard and Harry shivered, praying like he did with every full moon that his family would be safe.

With a sigh, Harry stared at the ceiling, though he couldn't see much due to the fact that it was too dark, even with the full moon high in the sky.

In just a few hours, Draco had managed to make him doubt everything he felt for the blond. With one admission and one short kiss, his mind was a mess. He still had trouble believing everything that had happened today.

How had this happened? Why had he never noticed Draco's feelings before? Had he been that oblivious? How could he have missed that?

_Well to be fair_ , Harry thought, frowning, _he has always been good at wearing masks. It shouldn't surprise me that I never noticed anything. I just wish he had told me sooner._

_And what would you have done then?_ , a dark voice asked in the back of his mind. _Would you have accepted him?_

He raised his left arm and covered his eyes with it. That was the question - what _did_ he feel for the young Malfoy? Did he have those kind of feelings for him? He couldn't answer that. His thoughts and emotions were mixed up and he couldn't decide what to feel. Why was it so hard to answer such a simple question? Why was he having trouble understanding his feelings?

Something slid on top of his slightly protruding belly and it was only because he saw that it was Akeyra that he didn't freak out.

"Akeyra, you startled me," he hissed, staring at his pet snake.

"How did your mate react when you talked to him?" Akeyra asked without preamble, his eyes boring down into emerald green ones.

Harry sighed and his fingers slid over Akeyra's smooth skin, before they came to rest next to his right hip. "Well, he reacted quite … Wait, how did you know I went to visit him?" He frowned.

Akeyra let out a strange little huff, as if he was laughing. "You smell like him," he hissed. "Especially your face."

Harry felt his cheeks burn as if they were on fire. Damn, he hadn't known that the snake's smell was that powerful. Unconsciously his hand came up to touch his cheek and mouth, before he dropped it again. "Yeah, I talked to him," he finally muttered and reverted his eyes back to the ceiling again.

"How did he react? I was right, wasn't I?" Akeyra replied and sounded smug.

"You were right, yes. He said he has been feeling more for me than friendship for more than a year," he answered and pursed his lips.

"That's good, right? Are you going to make a nest together with your mate?" Akeyra asked and apparently decided that laying on top of something small, rounded wasn't very comfortable, because after he was done speaking, he slid back off Harry's stomach and glided to the back of the bed, curling himself around one of the bedposts, looking like a strange ornament carved out of wood in the dark.

The dark haired boy opened and closed his mouth a few times before he managed to reply in a rough voice, "I don't know."

Akeyra seemed too stunned to answer and after a while he slithered of the bedpost on to the floor before he disappeared in a small, round hole in the wall underneath Harry's desk.

Rubbing his eyes when they started to burn, Harry turned to his left side and wiggled a bit in bed until he found a comfortable pose. Normally he would sleep half on his stomach, but since a few weeks that had started to feel a bit uncomfortable due to his growing belly, so now he always had to search for a comfortable position to fall asleep in. Pulling the covers up till his neck, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out again, forcing himself to relax. He needed to be well rested if he wanted to be of any use to his godparents tomorrow. It wouldn't do for him to give Remus the wrong potion because his mind was fuzzy.

So, still with the reminder of Draco's confession and kiss in his mind, Harry slowly fell asleep.

* * *

"Did something happen yesterday?" Remus asked casually and stared at Harry from his spot on his bed.

Harry, who had been busy collecting all the vials and bandages to patch up the older man, turned around to face him and he raised an eyebrow. "Why would something have happened yesterday?" he questioned and placed the box with the vials on the nightstand, dropping the pack of bandages next to it. After making sure he had everything he needed, he sat down carefully on the bed, making sure to not jostle the tired man too much.

"Harry, I'm not an idiot," Remus told him drily. "You are worrying about something, I can see it on your face."

Harry sighed and uncorked the first vial, sniffing it to make sure it was the Healing potion before passing it along to Remus, who downed it quickly, grimacing at the foul taste. "I visited Draco yesterday," he began slowly and grabbed a second vial that contained the draught meant to relax sore muscles.

"And? How is his apprenticeship going?" Remus asked and handed over the second empty vial.

"Good. At least he still lives, so I assume Snape doesn't have to correct him a lot," Harry replied with a smile.

"That's good then," the brown haired man said slowly and Harry hummed in response, waving his wand over Remus' body to call up a full check-up.

Apparently this full moon hadn't been as bad as the last one. Remus only had sore muscles, some minor cuts and a bit of a headache, but that was nothing some potions and bed rest couldn't cure.

"Well, it seems like Sirius managed to keep you whole this time," he joked and left the vials containing the Headache Reliever and some other pain relieving potions on the nightstand, while directing the other empty vials with his wand to rest in the basket against Remus' desk.

"I'm going to look on Sirius, see if he needs something," he announced, but a grip around his wrist stilled him and he looked warily at Remus. "What?"

"You still haven't told me what you are worrying about," Remus reminded him and softly tugged on his wrist, making him sit down again.

Harry tugged his hand free and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not really worrying," he mumbled.

A thin eyebrow was raised in scepticism. "Oh? Then let me rephrase my question; what are you thinking about? Did something happen yesterday with Draco?"

Sighing, the dark haired boy looked away and realized he wouldn't get to leave this room until he told Remus everything he wanted to know. "I went to talk to him yesterday because of something Akeyra told me."

"What did he say?"

"That Draco smelled like my mate."

Amber coloured eyes blinked slowly. "Oh."

"What, 'oh'? You don't seem very surprised," Harry said suspiciously after looking at Remus' calm face.

Remus shifted a bit, an uncomfortable look appearing in his eyes. "Well, after having observed how you two interact, I sort of suspected that Draco felt something more for you than friendship alone," he admitted sheepishly.

Harry stared at him incredulously. "You suspected that he had a crush on me and you didn't tell me? Why not?"

"Because it was not my place to tell," Remus answered calmly. "I wasn't sure about my suspicion and I didn't want to cause a rift between the two of you if I told you about it. So, is it true?"

Slender fingers started to fiddle with a loose thread of the blanket. "He said he has been feeling more for me than friendship for more than a year already. But he was too afraid that I would reject him so he kept quiet about it," Harry muttered and bit his lip.

"Ah." Remus nodded. Well, look at that. He had been right after all.

It was silent for a few minutes until Harry suddenly blurted out, "He kissed me."

"What?" Well, okay, that particular thing, he hadn't seen that one coming. At all. "He kissed you?"

Harry nodded, his eyes averted to his pants, feeling his face growing warm. "Just when I wanted to use the Floo. I think he – wanted to kiss me earlier before that too, but Narcissa walked in on us." He flushed harder when he realized that the last sentence sounded as if he regretted the fact that Draco's mother had interrupted them. He wasn't regretting it. Right?

"All right," the older man muttered and he raised both his hands to rub his temples, feeling a slight headache settling in.

"What do you think I should do?"

Remus frowned. "Why do you ask me? I can't decide for you what you should do. Do you feel something for him?"

"I don't know," Harry replied frustrated. "I've been thinking about it and I have tried to decide what I'm going to do, but I just don't know! I just …" He sighed. "Would it be bad of me to return his feelings?"

"Why would it be bad? If you like him, you should go for him. Just make sure he treats you better than Marc." Remus growled softly at the reminder of that blasted boy. "I mean, is Draco willing to be a part of the baby's life if you decide to keep it? Not that you have to, of course, but it is something that you should consider."

The boy nodded. "He said he would have no problems acting as the baby's father if I decided to keep it," he muttered and looked to his right, where the rain was splashing against the window, turning the room a bit dark. He flicked his wand and the lights turned on.

Remus stared at his cub for a long time, making the boy squirm slightly. "I can only give you one advice, cub: follow your heart. If your heart says Draco, then you should go for him. Otherwise, tell him you want to stay friends. I'm sure he'll understand," he smiled warmly and squeezed the small hand that laid closest to him.

Harry sighed and stood up. "Thanks for the advice," he muttered. "Well, I'm going to check up on Sirius. Here's the Sleeping draught."

Remus nodded and after gulping down the thick, gooey, dark blue fluid, he slid down in his bed, settling on his back and closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

After turning off the lights again and softly closing the door, Harry leant his head against the door, staring at the cracked, grey ceiling. _**Follow your heart**_. Easier said than done, when his heart didn't even know what it wanted.

Why was it so hard to just tell Draco that he wanted to stay friends only? It wasn't as if he ever had considered to date Draco. Sure, he had admitted that he was quite attractive – you would have to be blind to not notice that fact. And sure, the ex Slytherin was charming, witty, fun to be around with and he had always known what to say or do to make Harry smile …

He groaned when he realized what he had been thinking. All right, thinking those things didn't help him convince himself that he wanted to stay friends.

"Fuck," he muttered in defeat and made his way to Sirius' room. All that thinking was giving him a headache.

Why couldn't his life be easy for once?

* * *

_26th of September_

Harry was staring pensively at the immaculate white ceiling, sucking softly on his lower lip, while his hands were folded over his belly. He was lying on the silk sheets of Draco's large bed and because it was so comfortable, he had no desire to move at all. Draco didn't seem to mind it, being seated at his desk, trying to figure out an answer to the ridiculously large question sheet that Snape had given him as homework. One look at the parchment and Harry had wisely decided to just relax on the bed, fearing a headache if he kept looking at the questions. Not for the first time he was relieved that he didn't have to deal with potions or Snape anymore.

Because he had been feeling restless and both Sirius and Remus had been busy, Harry had Floo'd Draco, asking if he would mind some company. The blond had assured him with a smile that he wouldn't mind and Harry had immediately come through, after making sure Akeyra would be fine on his own.

"Where's your mother?" Harry broke the silence tentatively, turning his head so that he could look at his friend, while still lying in the same position.

"She's gone shopping. Knowing her, it will take at least five hours before she quits shopping and then another two hours to finally ditch those high society women, begging for some gossip," Draco sneered. He had never liked any of those women when he had met them at parties, but for the sake of appearances and at the urging of his parents, he had remained friendly and charming, though inwardly he wouldn't have wanted to remain with those gossiping wenches in one room.

"Oh." Harry blinked and looked back at the ceiling. The feeling of butterflies swarming in his stomach due to his proximity with the other boy, made him slightly squirm on the bed.

Ever since that kiss, he had been torn between telling Draco that he wanted to remain friends and wanting to explore more of these strange feelings he had been experiencing every time he thought of his friend. If he had to be completely honest, he supposed he wasn't opposed to trying a relationship with Draco. It wasn't even the fact that Draco would be there for the baby (though it had been relieving to know that), no. If he had to be honest, he would have to admit that his feelings for the young Malfoy had always been more than just friendship.   
But because he hadn't wanted to risk shattering their fragile friendship (oh, how alike he and Draco were in that aspect) he had pushed those feelings away, had hid them in a dark corner of his heart and had looked out for other potential boyfriends. And that had worked out so well. He had met Marc and he had really liked him; Marc had been the first boy who had managed to take his mind completely off of Draco. And it had all been ruined just because Marc apparently didn't trust him.

But was it all right for him to try a relationship with Draco? Especially in the state he was in now? What if other people thought it too soon for him to enter a relationship with Draco? The only opinions that mattered where those of his family and Narcissa of course and his family had already let him know that they wouldn't mind him getting together with the blond and he didn't think Narcissa would oppose it, but still. He didn't want Draco to get hurt or his name to be slandered in the papers if word got out he got together with Harry. And what if they thought he only got together with Draco because of the baby? Which of course wasn't true, but the public had proven itself to be very fickle when it concerned their opinion about Harry. One moment they were calling him a hero, practically worshipping him and the next moment they were ready to declare him the next Dark Lord.

All those conflicting emotions had regularly caused him to get headaches the last couple of weeks and he just wanted peace in his head. Would it be that bad to just give in to his feelings and see where they would lead too? He had been brave enough to take risks with his life – so why couldn't he be brave enough to take risks with his heart?

"OH!" Harry shot up straight, clutching his stomach with both hands, staring down at it wide eyed.

In just two seconds Draco was out of his chair and next to him at hearing the shout. His hands automatically covered Harry's stomach and he looked worried, trying to hide his panic. "What, what's wrong? Does your stomach hurt? Are you in pain?" he fired the questions like bullets, feeling his heart clench with every question he asked. It wasn't uncommon for a male body to reject the baby even if the pregnancy had already entered the fifth month. Even with the potion creating a womb, wizards had a higher chance of getting a miscarriage than witches, simply due to the fact that their body was put underneath more strain than a woman's during the pregnancy. After all their body had to adjust itself to the new growing addition, all the while making sure that the magic flowed between the father and the child without any disruptions.

"I – I think the baby is moving," Harry whispered shocked.

"What?" Draco asked dazed, not certain whether he had heard it correctly.

"Yeah, wait. I think …" Harry trailed off and he closed his eyes, waiting for the strange fluttering feeling to make itself known again. "Right here," he whispered after a full long minute, absentmindedly grabbing Draco's hand and placing it right above his bellybutton when he felt the baby moving again.

They sat together in silence, feeling how the baby moved softly. It wasn't big enough yet to give hard kicks, but he or she was definitely big enough to make his or her moving known.

Harry sat transfixed on the bed, staring at this stomach, watching how his hand and Draco's pale one were intertwined on his stomach, raising and falling each time he breathed in and out. He had never felt the baby moving before. Sure, he had known that he would feel it moving eventually, seeing as he had already entered his fifth month, but still that knowledge hadn't prepared him for the actual thing. And actually feeling the baby move inside of him, now fully realizing that there was indeed a living baby inside of him, waiting to be born, was … an incredible feeling. He had thought it would have been disgusting to feel the baby move, reminding him again why his life was like it was now, but instead of feeling disgust, he was … _happy_. It felt so … incredible to feel the baby moving inside his stomach, knowing that it was all right.

He started when he felt a cool hand resting upon his cheek and rubbing away some tears that were slipping down his cheeks and hitting his sweater. Forest green eyes lifted up until they met stormy grey ones.

"Harry," Draco spoke softly. His other hand was still resting on Harry's rounded belly.

Harry looked at him and smiled. A real smile for the first time in weeks. And before he had time to think it over, before he let his insecurities overwhelm him, he quickly pushed his lips to Draco's, grabbing the back of his neck to pull him tightly to his body. Draco froze for a moment before he kissed back eagerly, encircling Harry's waist softly.

"I'm so happy right now," he whispered against Draco's wet lips when he pulled back again.

Draco smiled hesitatingly. "What are you thinking now?"

"I'm thinking that I want to give us a chance, if you're still willing to deal with me," Harry admitted, smiling weakly.

"Of course, I'm willing," Draco chuckled and softly kissed his nose. "I've been patient and waiting for you for more than a year now; I'm not about to give you up when I can finally have you. Are you sure that you want me?"

"Yeah, I want you. Have been for a while, but I was just afraid to admit it, I guess." Harry felt himself flush. "I'm sorry that I kept you waiting."

Draco just smiled and shook his head, gripping Harry's hands tightly into his own, feeling absolutely giddy and ecstatic that his wish had finally came true. Harry was finally his now and he would never let him go if it was up to him. Harry had finally agreed to be his now and he had felt his own child moving for the first time … This day couldn't get any better.

"And," Harry started, looking down at the sheets again, "I – made my decision about the baby," he mumbled softly.

Draco froze. "Really?"

Harry nodded. "I, I want to keep the baby," he muttered.

He had been thinking about it for weeks now and had constantly wavered between giving the baby up for adoption and keeping it, but having felt the baby moving just now, made him realize that there was no way he would ever be able to give up his own child. This child was his blood and it didn't matter that he didn't know the father. This baby was his now and he couldn't remember why he had had the thought to give him or her up. After feeling it moving just now, he couldn't imagine him giving the baby up. It wouldn't feel right and he just knew that he would live to regret it if he made that decision. It wouldn't be easy, raising the baby at his age, he realized that, but he had the help of his family and even from Draco. Somehow he would be able to pull through.

"Hmph!" Harry was startled when fierce lips assaulted his own and he felt himself being pushed back to recline against the fluffed up pillows.

"You don't know how happy I am that you are willing to keep the baby," Draco murmured against his lips, but didn't offer any other answer when Harry looked at him bemused.

"I have you now and I'm not planning on letting you go. I won't ever hurt you like other people did," Draco swore and hugged him close.

Harry smiled and buried his head against Draco's chest, admitting to himself that for the first time of his life, he didn't mind the possessive tone in Draco's voice.

His hands came to rest on his stomach again.

It would all be all right. Nothing could go wrong anymore. He had Draco and he was keeping the baby. Yes, everything was all right.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: hm, normally nothing special that requires a warning. Just the gender of the baby that is revealed. A small amount of drama as well
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 11**

_27th of September_

When Remus arrived home that evening, he was surprised to see Draco sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, with Harry cuddled up next to him. The boys were talking quietly and when Remus came near them, he noticed that their hands were intertwined on Harry's belly; Draco's hand rubbing small circles on it.

"Mom won't mind. You're practically a son to her," Draco said amused.

"Well, yeah, but …" Harry frowned.

"What won't Narcissa mind?" Remus asked and stifled a chuckle when both boys jumped in fright.

"Remus! You're home already?" Harry's eyes slid to the clock and widened at noticing the hour. "It's half pas six already?"

Remus nodded and dropped down on the armchair, his gaze never leaving the pair. "Yes, Sirius should be here shortly too. Now, what was that about Narcissa?"

They looked at each other and Draco shrugged, nodding when Harry raised an eyebrow.

"We were talking about when we would tell Narcissa about … us," Harry admitted after a slight hesitance.

Amber coloured eyes blinked. "Ah. I take it you're together now?" he smiled.

Harry blushed a bit and nodded, unconsciously shifting closer to Draco, who tightened his grip around him in response.

"You don't seem surprised," Draco noted in a neutral voice, but his eyes were bright and sharp.

"Why would I? I had a suspicion you felt more for Harry than just friendship." Remus shrugged. Then he pinned Draco with a sharp look. "Although I warn you, Draco - hurt Harry and you'll suffer the consequences. Understood?"

"Remus," Harry mumbled in a soft chiding tone, feeling embarrassed.

"Completely understood," Draco answered calmly. Then, after casting a look at the clock, he stood up with a sigh. "I have to go home now. I promised mother I would accompany her to a ball."

Remus, who had gone to the kitchen to start the preparations for dinner, heard with his keen hearing how the boys kissed each other briefly and when the fire crackled in preparation of the Flooing, he heard Draco mutter softly, "Are you going to tell them tonight?"

His cub hummed. "Yeah, no need to put it off longer."

"Alright. I'll see you later." The sound of Flooing signalled Draco's departure and a few seconds later, Harry entered the kitchen.

"Something I can help with?" he offered, leaning with his right hip against the kitchen counter.

"You can set the table," Remus suggested and with one quick snap of his wand, the potatoes were peeled and placed in a pot with boiling water to cook. A couple of steaks were being baked in a pan next to the pot and in another smaller cook pot, cut up carrots and onion were steaming.

"So, something you need to tell Sirius and I?" Remus asked lightly, taking a sip of his water.

Harry faltered a bit and after placing the last plate on the table, he turned around with a small smile. "It's rude to eavesdrop," he told his guardian lightly.

Remus shrugged. "It's not like I can switch off my hearing," he reminded the dark haired boy.

Harry pursed his lips and walked over to one of the cabinets to grab the bottle of water and orange juice. "I'll tell you after dinner."

Remus nodded and turned his attention back to the cooking pots.

Fifteen minutes later Sirius was home too and they sat around the table to eat their dinner.

* * *

After they had done the dishes, they retreated to the living room with a cup of earl grey tea. Sirius and Harry chose the couch while Remus chose the armchair. After they had settled down, Remus raised an eyebrow. "So what is the news?"

Sirius blinked confused. "News? What news?"

Harry took a deep breath and his hands started to fiddle with his sweater, nervousness bubbling up in his body. He was certain of his choice, but he couldn't repress his nervous feeling. After all, it was not every day he had to tell his godparents something like this.

"It's about the baby," Harry started and the two older men sat up straight, all their attention focused on their godson.

"Did you make your decision?" Remus asked softly.

"Yeah." Harry nodded and looked up. "I have decided to keep the baby."

The two remaining Marauders blinked in surprise and were apparently lost for words.

Harry shifted restlessly, growing uncomfortable with each second that passed in silence. "Are you mad at me?" he asked in a small voice.

That broke them finally out of their stupor and Sirius pulled him in his arms, giving him a reassuring hug.

"No, of course we aren't mad, pup. We were just surprised," Sirius replied. "But it's good that you're keeping the baby. I wouldn't have wanted you to live with regret later."

"So you aren't mad that you can't adopt the baby?" Harry asked relieved and returned the hug.

Remus chuckled. "Of course not. We still get to see the baby and spoil it rotten." He winked and Harry snorted in amusement. "So I take it that Draco is fine with it too?"

"What has Blondie to do with this?" Sirius asked confused.

Harry smiled weakly and sat up again, reclining against the back of the couch. "We're together now," he informed his godfather whose dark grey eyes widened in shock.

"Since when?" he exclaimed shocked.

"Since yesterday," Harry smiled sheepishly.

Sirius gaped. "Why didn't you tell us that yesterday?"

"Eh, it kind of slipped my mind." Harry scratched the back of his neck and smiled apologetically.

"It slipped your mind," Sirius repeated faintly and Remus chuckled amused.

"Sorry." Harry bit his lip to hide his smile.

"Well, okay then. From now on, you and Draco won't be alone in a closed off room." Sirius suddenly narrowed his eyes, his protective godfather instinct kicking in gear. "Either the door stays open or there will be someone with you too."

Remus rolled his eyes while Harry stared at him incredulously. "What? Why? You didn't give that rule before!" he protested. "What's so different now?"

"You honestly have to ask what's different?" Sirius asked incredulously. "That rule is to make sure that Blondie's hands stay above the belt area and not lower."

Harry's cheeks were stained a crimson red after that blunt comment. "Sirius! I seriously doubt anything's going to happen while I look like this." He waved awkwardly over his stomach.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "That's what your mother thought too and you wouldn't believe the amount of times we nearly walked in on them because Prongs couldn't ke-"

"Okay! That's enough! I really don't need to hear more!" Harry cried out embarrassed and clamped a hand over his godfather's mouth to prevent him from revealing too much information. He liked to hear stories about his parents, but there were limits, for Merlin's sake!

When Sirius kept quiet, Harry pulled back his hand, but noticed too late the familiar glint in those dark grey eyes.

"Well, to be fair, it wasn't always Prongs' fault," Sirius grinned and laughed when Harry threw a pillow in his face and stormed out the room with a dark red, flustered face.

Remus shook his head exasperatedly, but smiled fondly. "I think you mentally scared him for life, Padfoot."

The Animagus shrugged. "At least then I won't have to worry about Blondie's hands straining beneath the belt."

"Hypocrite," Remus chided him.

Sirius just scowled and huffed.

* * *

_3rd of October_

"So does this mean I'm going to be a grandmother?" Narcissa asked and her eyes flashed with some unidentifiable emotion.

While her son smiled almost proudly, his best friend turned boyfriend shifted on the couch and nodded weakly, as if he was afraid she would start screaming.

It was Friday afternoon, the first week where Draco had gotten home sooner than normal since he started his apprenticeship. Snape had been invited to a Potions convention in Greece and his Portkey had been scheduled for departure at four thirty p.m. So he had sent Draco home earlier than normal. The young Malfoy had taken this chance to inform his mother about him and Harry. A very reluctant Harry had agreed and now they were sitting in the large living room, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

Narcissa eyed the newly formed couple and supressed an amused smile when she noticed how nervous Harry was. She hadn't been surprised that her son had chosen Harry as his partner – after all it had been clear as day how infatuated her son was with the young Potter boy since the first time he saw him. It had only be a matter of time before her son would have wooed Harry. No, she was surprised that her son seemed to be proud that his partner was carrying a child. If it had been his child, she would have understood why, but she had never envisioned that her son would be willing to act like a father for another man's child. After all, Lucius wouldn't have been able to do that and Draco had idolized that man for years. But her son obviously showed more maturity than his father and Narcissa was proud of him. It wasn't easy to love a child that was from another man and she was proud her son was willing to do that. Apparently she had managed to raise him right. And Harry deserved to have someone who wanted both him and his child. She was happy he had been willing to give her son a chance.

"Well, would you mind terribly if I buy the baby's clothes instead of knitting them?" she asked lightly. "I'm afraid I have always been a klutz in knitting."

Draco smirked and even Harry managed a real smile.

"Never expected to become a grandmother so early, but at least then the baby will have a young grandmother who dotes on him or her," she smiled. "Do you already know the gender?"

Harry shook his head, a few strands of his hair falling in front of his eyes, which he pushed back absentmindedly. "No, Pomfrey sent me a letter yesterday with the date of the next appointment."

"When is the appointment?" Draco asked, his arm snaking behind Harry's back and coming to a rest on the side of his rounded belly.

"On the twelfth," Harry replied. One of his own hands was lazily rubbing a circle on his stomach.

Ever since he had felt his baby moving for the first time, he had been rubbing and caressing his stomach, actually enjoying the feeling of the baby moving inside of him. A month ago or so, he had done everything he could to avoid touching his bump, but now he was fascinated by it. Actually feeling the baby moving inside his stomach, knowing that he or she was growing and waiting for the moment to be born was … incredible. Special even. By now he had trouble envisioning how he could ever have considered an adoption. Even though the baby's conception had happened through a horrible experience he couldn't even remember, the baby wasn't to blame for it. It wasn't his or her fault that he or she would be born because of something he didn't even wish to happen to his worst enemy. The baby deserved to live, to be loved and Harry intended to love his child like he had wished his own family would have done. This baby would grow up, knowing it was loved by his parents. That was something he swore would happen.

"Do you want a girl or a boy?" Narcissa asked and took a sip of her Moon Tear tea (a tea that was made of the leaves on which faeries had cried – which made it incredibly expensive and it was desired for his light, slightly sweet unique taste).

"That doesn't matter to me. As long as the baby is healthy, I'll be happy," Harry smiled softly.

"Spoken like a true parent," Draco responded teasingly and dropped a quick kiss on Harry's burning cheek.

"Have you felt the baby moving yet?" Narcissa asked interested and when she leant slightly forwards, her light blond hair glinted in the pale October sun that had decided to grace England with its presence for a while.

"Yeah, since a week now," Harry answered with a crooked smile. "The baby is moving now too, actually."

Narcissa's eyes started to shine with excitement. "Can I feel?" she asked, reigning in her eagerness, remembering the time she was pregnant and getting annoyed when people would just touch her stomach without even asking if they were allowed. There had been a rise in burn and sting marks in the high society circle during her pregnancy. But to be fair, she had warned them of the consequences if they didn't have the grace to ask permission.

"Sure." Harry nodded and blinked bemused when Narcissa was next to him on the couch in just a few seconds, her warm, slender hands on his belly, softly moving around, barely touching his stomach until she felt a kick in Harry's right side.

Then she did something that even shocked her own son. "Well, hello there, sweetie, I am your grandmother," she murmured softly with a small smile tugging at her lips.

Harry looked down at her bowed head in surprise, but grinned and wondered why he had ever feared Narcissa getting furious with him. Instead of seeing an enraged woman, all he saw was a woman who was excited at the prospect of a new arrival in the family.

He felt Draco's lips pressing a sweet kiss against his left temple and he squeezed Draco's hand in response. Maybe his life would continue peaceful after all.

He should have known it wouldn't turn out that way.

* * *

_7th of October_

"Have you found something interesting, cub?" Remus asked and appeared from behind the large, dark, wooden book case.

It was Remus' day off and Harry had asked if they could go shopping, wanting a change of scenery.

Remus had agreed, on the condition that Harry would immediately tell him if he felt tired so that they could return home to rest. Harry had agreed, too eager to go out to protest. So, after having casted a Disillusion charm on his stomach to prevent the paparazzi from launching his pregnancy in the papers and creating an uproar, they had set out for Diagon Alley.

Currently they were standing in a book shop, browsing through the books to see if anything caught their interest.

"Hm, nothing," Harry mumbled and turned around to face the older man, raising his eyebrow when he saw the four thick books clutched against Remus' chest. "You apparently did," he added drily.

Remus smiled sheepishly. "Research for Defence against the Dark Arts. I could use these subjects for the sixth and seventh years."

"Are your students good in Defence?" Harry asked curiously.

Remus didn't talk much about his classes, save for the moments where they had to confront a Boggart.

"They do well, but they'll never match your talent," Remus chuckled.

Harry flushed at the compliment and rubbed the bridge of his nose, not knowing how to react to that.

"So, need to look anywhere else?" Remus asked, transferring his books to his other arm.

Harry shook his head. "No, we can go pay."

Together they made their way to the counter and were helped by a young woman whose brown hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. Her light brown eyes widened a bit when she recognized Harry, but she didn't say anything, for which Harry was grateful. He wasn't in the mood to act friendly towards his fans, no matter how rude that sounded.

After paying for the books, they walked to the exit, but were stopped by a painfully familiar red haired woman, whose once warm brown eyes were now narrowed in cold anger. Her daughter was standing next to her, her ears turning red, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Look who's finally showing his face again," Molly said loudly and the other customers, who hadn't paid attention to them before, now stopped browsing through the books and looked at the small group in the middle of the bookstore.

Harry didn't say anything, but Remus tensed and his eyes narrowed too, a hint of the werewolf showing through them. "Just let us go through," he said wearily.

"Why? Not brave enough to show your face for long in the public?" she scoffed.

Ginny didn't say anything, but casted her eyes to the floor.

"We don't have to say anything to you. Kindly leave us alone," Remus spoke through gritted teeth.

"Not anything? Don't think we have forgiven you. Ron is still mourning Hermione's death. She was such a sweet girl. And now she's dead because of you," Molly spat and glared at Harry.

Harry flinched and bit his lip. The death of Hermione was after two years still a sensitive subject and he would probably never forgive himself, even if it wasn't his fault.

"Don't listen to her, cub, it wasn't your fault," Remus murmured and returned Molly's glare.

Molly wanted to retort until her eyes caught something and a sneer appeared on her face. "Look at that. Even a Ravenclaw wasn't good enough for you. What, you got your fill with Marc, so now you jump into the bed of a Malfoy? Pathetic."

Emerald green eyes widened and his hand shot up automatically to cover his locket, bearing the Malfoy crest. "None of your business," he said in a tense voice and without realizing it, his other hand moved in front of his stomach and covered it as if to shield his unborn child from the Weasleys' matriarch's poisonous words.

His action didn't go unnoticed and before either of them could react, her wand was pointed at his stomach and one quick "Finite Incantatem" later, the Disillusionment charm broke and Harry's rounded belly was visible for everyone to see. The shocked gasps and whispers told the shocked boy that even his cloak wasn't enough to hide his bump.

"Well, well, looks like Saint Potter can't even keep his legs closed," Molly said triumphantly. "I feel sorry for the baby; it'll grow up knowing its mother is a whore."

"SHUT UP!" Harry felt a familiar warm stream of magic flowing through his body and before he could hold himself back, his magic appeared around him like a big, dark green cloud and burst like a bubble, the power behind it big enough to throw everyone around him – except for Remus – against the walls and bookcases. His magic was still rattling the walls and windows when Harry fainted, Remus just catching him on time before he fell hard on the floor.

* * *

_**Hogwarts, dungeons** _

Draco looked up from his bubbling potion, the dark blue purple damp casting his eyes in the shadows, his hand posed above the cauldron with Dragon blad leaves when the fire in the fireplace flared up green and the head of the school nurse Poppy Pomfrey floated in the fire, a frown marrying her forehead.

"Yes?" Severus asked, annoyed she had interrupted his work.

"I need a Calming draught, a nerve soothing balm, a nutrition potion and the L vitamin supplement. I ran out of them and they are needed now," Poppy ordered.

"L vitamin? I wasn't aware we had a pregnant male student in this school," Severus remarked, but stood up to get the ordered potions from his storage room.

Draco froze up and he stared at Poppy. L vitamin was only given to pregnant men who lacked that one. It was needed to make sure the connection between carrier and child wasn't interrupted. The fact that the nurse needed that now … Draco knew of only one pregnant man for who Poppy acted as some kind of midwife.

Cold fear gripped his heart and he dumped the leaves on the table and put the potion under a Statis charm.

"Did something happen to Harry?" he asked, his body tensing.

"Nothing that can't be fixed with some potions and rest," Pomfrey replied brusquely.

When Severus reappeared again with a small basket filled with vials, Draco shot from behind his desk and grabbed the basket.

"I'll bring it to the Infirmary." Was all Severus got to hear before his godson almost dashed out of the dungeon.

"What on earth …" he murmured, scowling and marched over to the cauldron. "At least he put a Statis charm on it," he sighed.

But the boy would get an earful when he came back. He couldn't just up and leave like that. Not every potion could be put under a Statis charm after all.

* * *

Thanking Merlin that classes were still in session and therefore the hallways were empty, Draco hurried towards the Infirmary. The whole time he was trying to convince himself that nothing bad had happened to either Harry or the baby, knowing Pomfrey wouldn't lie about that. Still, his hands were sweating and his heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, panic slowly growing and his thoughts revolved around one thing only: getting to Harry as quick as possible.

When he opened the door, he saw Pomfrey looking up from her work of casting spells and Lupin was standing next to a bed at the furthest end of the row, holding the hand of someone lying on the bed.

"Ah, Mister Malfoy, that was quick." Pomfrey clucked her tongue and grabbed the vial with the vitamin as soon as Draco had placed the basket down.

Without saying anything, Remus stepped aside and let Draco take his place. Draco smiled fleetingly and grabbed Harry's cool, slender hand. Harry's eyes were closed and he seemed to be sleeping, but not in pain which relieved the blond.

"What happened?" he demanded to know and watched with hawk like eyes how the nurse made sure Harry swallowed the vitamin, Calming draught and nutrition potion before rubbing the nerve soothing balm on his naked, rounded stomach. His grey eyes involuntarily lingered on Harry's stomach, fascinated with how the bump looked like naked. Until now he had only seen and felt it through cloth.

Lupin's voice forced him to pay attention to him instead of Harry.

"We were in a bookstore when we encountered Molly and Ginny Weasley. Molly was rude and crossed the line to which Harry's magic reacted and threw them to the side," Lupin replied stiffly, but his eyes were still burning with fury. "Harry fainted and I was worried so I brought him here."

"Why did he faint? Is everything alright with him and the baby?" Draco asked worriedly and his grip on Harry's hand tightened. He felt anger bubble up and barely managed to supress it. One way or the other, he would make sure the Weasleys paid for how they treated Harry.

"It happens sometimes that the carrier faints from stress or after experiencing a magical outburst," Pomfrey answered and nodded absentmindedly when a spell confirmed something to her. "But don't fret, there's nothing wrong with either of them. He's just tired and needs rest."

Draco sighed in relief. For one moment, he had been scared Harry would have the baby now, which wouldn't end well. He didn't think he would be able to cope if Harry lost the baby now. It didn't matter that Harry wasn't aware it was his child he was carrying; he didn't want him to have a miscarriage. He didn't want to think of how Harry would have reacted to that.

A groan from the bed alerted the trio that the patient was waking up.

"Hm? Where 'm?" Harry murmured and blinked dazed.

"You're in the Infirmary now, Mister Potter," Pomfrey informed him.

Harry's eyes widened when his memory of the last hour came back and his free hand flew to his belly in panic.

"The baby? Did something happen to the baby?" He shot up in the bed, only to be pushed down again by Draco.

"No, cub. The baby is fine," Remus smiled soothingly and the dark haired boy sighed in relief.

"Thank Merlin," he murmured.

"Think you'll be able to go through the rest of the pregnancy without giving us a scare?" Draco raised an eyebrow and his smirk trembled a little.

"Sorry." Harry flushed and then looked surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be working on a potion now?"

Draco waved away his concern. "That can wait for a while. You're more important now," he whispered and shared a soft kiss with Harry, whose cheeks felt heated.

A throat was cleared and they broke up, looking at the nurse sheepishly. Remus had turned a bit red in the face and had found the other bed suddenly more interesting to look at, but he turned his attention back to Pomfrey when she cleared her throat.

"Well, now that you're here already, what do you think of having the check-up today?" Pomfrey suggested and a smile softened her usual stern face when she continued, "I can tell you the gender today if you want to."

Harry looked up excitedly. "We can know the gender today?"

She nodded. "Yes, if you wish too."

Harry looked at Draco. "What do you think?"

"If you want it too, then I want to know the gender as well," Draco smiled, his grey eyes shimmering with excitement.

"All right, I can already tell you that everything is fine with the baby," Pomfrey informed them and murmured a charm. The same screen from last check-up appeared in the air again, but this time it showed a more clear outline of the baby who was seemingly curled up and sucking at his or her thumb (which made Harry and Draco awe in silence at seeing that) and the comforting sound of its heartbeat filled the room.

"Now, let's see…"

Both boys squeezed each other's hands and their eyes were glued to the screen, Remus looking at it as well in wonder.

"Aha. Mister Potter, Mister Malfoy, you're going to be the proud parents of a little baby girl," Pomfrey informed them with a small smile.

"A daughter?" Harry whispered and his hands clutched his belly. "We're getting a daughter?" They were going to get a girl? He was carrying a little girl inside his body? Tears of joy appeared in his eyes and soon he was kissed hard by a very happy Draco.

"We're getting a daughter, Harry," Draco grinned against his lips and hugged him tightly, his hand joining Harry's on his stomach.

_Their daughter._

Harry decided he quite liked the sound of that.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: some fluff; long chapter; explanation of the birth; drama because Harry discovers who the father of his baby is
> 
> All right, now I need to give some information about the story.  
> Like I mentioned in the tags, this story has two different endings. Chapter 13 will be the chapter where Draco tells the truth (and it won't have a happy ending). Chapter 14 is called the Lie and is where Draco lies (and thus will have more of a 'happy' ending)  
> After that: chapter 15 will be the epilogue of the Truth ending (which will leave an open ending - I'm contemplating writing a sequel to that).  
> Chapter 16 and 17 will both be epilogues to chapter The Lie, but both will end differently.  
> More specific warnings will be given in each chapter.  
> So tomorrow chapter 13 and 14 will both be posted on the same time. On Saturday, all three epilogues will be posted (normally) which will finish the story
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 12**

_7th of October_

As Harry held the new stack of ultrasounds of his daughter, the door of the Infirmary flew open and slammed against the wall. The four occupants almost jumped three feet in the air and watched wide eyed how an irate Snape strode over to the bed Harry was occupying for the moment.

"You have some nerve, staying away for so long while there is a potion only half finished and in a volatile state," he snarled, his dark eyes glittering with fury. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you packing and hex some sense into you."

Draco had the grace to look ashamed. "I'm terribly sorry, uncle. It wasn't my intention to stay away for so long. I lost track of time."

Snape opened his mouth, probably to deliver another good tongue lashing, but was interrupted by Harry, who sat up straight in bed now. "It was my fault, sir. I kept Draco here longer than I should have," he said with a neutral face, but his eyes flashed in defiance.

"Harry," Remus spoke in a low, warning voice. It wouldn't do to agitate Snape in Harry's state. The last thing he needed now was more stress piling up.

Snape's attention shifted from his infuriating godson to the spawn of his bane of existence.

"Unless you forcefully restrained that impudent child, I don't see what kind of value that pitiful excuse had," he sneered. "No excuse is valid enough to explain a non attended potion in the second stage of brewing. I'm aware of your pitiful knowledge of Potions, Potter, but even you should understand how grave this error could be."

"I know you are not a father, Severus," Pomfrey cut in before Harry could launch himself in a heated argument. "But even you should understand that Mister Potter wanted Mister Malfoy with him during his check-up," she huffed. Honestly, if that man was so adamant on creating an argument, she would personally throw him out of what she considered her domain. No one was allowed to stress her patient, even if that person was a famous and sought out Potions Master.

"Check-up?" Snape murmured and his eyes focused on Harry's bulging stomach that could no longer be hidden by his clothes. As soon as he realized the implication, he grew paler than he already was and sunk down on a bed next to Harry's. "Oh Merlin, this has to be some kind of nightmare," he muttered and his mouth grew in a tight line. "The Potter line is being continued; this can't be true."

Harry narrowed his eyes in anger and crossed his arms on top of his stomach, silently wondering whether he would get away with hexing Snape; Draco was torn between chuckling at his godfather's despair and defending his unborn daughter; Pomfrey glared at the Head of Slytherin and Remus was the one smirking now.

"You won't get rid of the Potters, Snape. Not in this life or the afterlife."

That remark had him jumping out of the reach of a Blasting curse.

XXXXXXXX

Half an hour later, after Pomfrey was done threatening and lecturing them about firing spells in a hospital wing ("And you call yourself adults? Start acting like adults then before I have to straight you out!") the small group said their goodbyes and went on their separate ways. Draco and Snape went back to the dungeons and Harry and Remus Floo'd back to their home.

"What do you think will happen now with the bookstore … incident?" Harry asked with a resigned look on his face. He nodded gratefully when Remus handed him a cup of tea. They both sat down on the couch, Harry curling up in the corner, his legs crossed.

Remus sighed and took a sip of his tea. "I don't know, Harry. The people in the shop saw everything, so I'm afraid the press will find out soon too," he grimaced.

"I was afraid you would say that," Harry murmured and raked a hand through his hair, messing it up further. "This was not the way I wanted the public to know about my baby. I had hoped I could have informed them at my own pace."

"I'm sorry, cub," Remus sighed and patted his knee.

"Nothing you could do about it," Harry smiled weakly. He twitched a bit when he felt something sliding over his back, but relaxed when he felt the familiar weight of Akeyra settling in his neck.

"You seem distressed," Akeyra remarked casually. "Is there something wrong with your young?"

"No, my young is fine," Harry replied, his hand coming up to stroke Akeyra's smooth head. "It's just that the public now knows about it and I would have preferred it to keep them in the dark for a bit longer."

"Do you want me to punish the ones who leaked the news?" the snake offered drily.

Harry chuckled and ignored Remus' curious eyes. "No, they are not worth your time. I'll figure something out."

"The offer still stands if you decide otherwise," Akeyra replied and slid down his chest, wrapping his long body (he had grown a lot since Harry had gotten him) around his stomach.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Harry smiled.

"What was Akeyra saying?" Remus asked curiously.

"He offered to punish the ones who'll leak the information," Harry replied.

"What a nice offer," Remus remarked drily. "Let's talk about something else for now until we'll know whether the public will react or not."

Harry shrugged. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What about the baby room for my niece?" Remus smiled. "We still have some time, but it wouldn't hurt to think about the decoration already."

"I was kind of hoping you would know what to buy, because I don't know what a nursery needs, except for a bed and a closet," Harry admitted, feeling embarrassed.

The older man twitched a bit at the hidden reminder that his cub hadn't had the childhood he deserved, but he controlled himself. He and Sirius had already blown up once after they had heard the full version of Harry's childhood and even though they both had restrictions, they had managed to get their revenge on the Dursleys. Harry hadn't known about the revenge, but he had pleaded with them to let it go, stating he would rather not think of them ever again and that he was happy now. With great reluctance the last remaining Marauders had agreed to drop the subject and they hadn't brought it up after that request. That didn't mean they had forgotten about Harry's treatment by the Dursleys, but there was nothing else they could do about it, save for savouring the small feeling of success and the sweetness of revenge after they had paid that wretched family a visit.

Remus chuckled and stood up, walking over to a small closet with carved out pixies decorating the wood, charmed to dance. He opened one of the four drawers and started to rummage through it. "Don't worry, Sirius and I know how a nursery looks like, but we have magazines with all kinds of stuff needed for a baby just in case. We can look through these and you can decide what you want to buy." He came back to the couch with four thick magazines, the covers featuring moving newborns and laughing toddlers. Titles like 'The absolute baby necessities' and 'What a new mother needs to have' decorated the covers.

"When did you buy these?" Harry asked surprised as he opened the first magazine. A page filled with cribs showed a woman demonstrating what kind of spells each crib needed. Of course these pictures were moving too.

"I didn't," Remus replied calmly. "Sirius did after you told us you will keep the baby. He's excited to meet his grand godchild," he smiled.

"Huh," was Harry's intelligent response.

Soon they were engrossed in studying the magazines and they had the pleasure of seeing Sirius faint when he heard Harry was expecting a girl. Apparently that had been the same reaction when he had heard Lily was expecting a boy.

Harry went to sleep that night with a feeling he wouldn't like what the next day brought, but he forced himself to relax. He would deal with whatever happened tomorrow. He had defeated Voldemort – if he could do that, he could deal with the public now too. After all, nothing was worse than Voldemort, right?

* * *

_8th of October_

Even with the mental pep talk he had given himself when he woke up, Harry felt like he had been stabbed when he read the Prophet the next morning. Sirius and Remus had at first refused to show him the article about him, not wanting to stress him out, but after Harry had mentioned he could just go out and buy another one, they had surrendered. It was better he read it at home, where they could keep an eye on him in case something happened, than letting him go without supervision.

After reading the article, Harry wished he had listened to their warnings.

Apparently there had been a photographer hiding herself in the shop, because the paper had a large photo of Harry plastered on the front page. It showed Harry and Remus standing next to each other with shocked faces while Molly fired the spell that revealed his pregnancy. The scene was repeated over and over again.

The title was printed in large bold letters: **'Harry Potter: our hero in reality a slut?'**

" _The whole public already knew of the Boy-Who-Lived's real sexual preferences for a while now. Our staff got thousands of letters; some stating they were disgusted by his preferences, but most of them were supportive of our Hero's private life. This newspaper was the first to publish the news of Potter's relationship with the Ravenclaw student Marc Liander._

_It looked like Potter would still get his happy ending – albeit with a man instead of a woman like many hoped – and we all wished him that as a reward for saving our World from You-Know-Who. But yesterday's revelations show a sudden new side of Harry Potter, a side he kept hidden from everyone for Merlin only knows how long. A dark side nobody had ever expected of him._

_Dear readers, this newspaper is the first one to discover this dark side. As shown in the picture above, Harry Potter is expecting a child. The news was revealed by a spell, fired by Molly Weasley, who was clearly arguing with Potter, with whom she and other family members had a fall out (for more information about this fall out, please turn to page four)._

_This fact alone is not bad per say – everyone agreed Potter is a family man and would want children quickly. What makes his pregnancy so scandalous – aside from the fact he is still very young – is that this child is not from his boyfriend M. Liander. Yes, you read this correctly: our beloved hero cheated on his own boyfriend and got pregnant from his tryst. M. Liander himself confirmed this. He and Potter broke up in July after Potter had told him the news of his pregnancy._

" _I know I can't be the father, because we never had sex," M. stated, after we contacted him for an interview. The reporter considers him brave for agreeing to this interview, because it's clear he is still in pain from the break-up. "He claimed he was drugged and raped, but who would be able to do that? We all know Potter is one of the most powerful wizards now, yet he claims someone was able to attack him. Sadly for him, I'm not stupid. It's not my fault he was so stupid to screw up. I really loved him, but I'm not planning on staying with a cheating slut and taking care of someone else's child."_

_Who is the father? Only Potter knows – unless he slept with several men. We took the picture to a Healer and asked how far our fallen hero is already. "Taking into account the size of his stomach, I'd say he's around five, six months along now." We received the answer from a Healer who wished to remain anonymous. This would mean Potter was already pregnant when he graduated from Hogwarts._

_So who is the father of Potter's child? This is a question everyone wants to get an answer to. An anonymous source suggests that Draco Malfoy is the father. He and Potter have been best friends for a few years now and Mister Potter has been spotted wearing an old Malfoy heirloom: a locket made by goblins in the fifteenth century. We tried to contact Mister Malfoy, but he refused to comment. Should we consider this as a confession?_

_This paper will get to the bottom of this and you all can be sure to get answers!_

_For information about the 'friendship' between Malfoy and Potter, please turn to page three."_

Harry sank down on a kitchen chair and stared horrified at the paper. He had foolishly hoped the paper wouldn't publish a lot about him, but of course he should have known better. The Prophet had always been fickle about their opinion of him. It had called him a dark wizard and an upcoming Dark Lord before, he shouldn't be surprised they were calling him a slut now.

"Harry?" Sirius said softly and kneeled down next to him, putting his hand on Harry's small shoulder.

"What did I ever do to them?" Harry asked in a small voice and tears were soon filling his yes, making his vision waver.

"The paper consists of nothing but a lying group of assholes with no moral values whatsoever who only think about money." Sirius took him in his arms and started to rock him softly. "Just try to ignore them. They are not worth your time."

That was easier said than done. He was portrayed as a cheating slut and soon the public would be against him again, like all those other times the newspaper had been badmouthing him. The worst thing was that Draco was dragged into this. Now the public wouldn't leave him alone either. What if Draco decided he wasn't worth the trouble anymore and decided to break up with him?

He didn't want to lose him! Where would he find someone else who would be interested in him as a person and not in his fame? Draco was one of the few who wanted him for who he was and not for what he was. What was he going to do if he lost him?

"Harry, calm down! It's not good for you or the baby if you get upset!" Remus' urgent voice suddenly sounded and he blinked, realizing he was nearly hyperventilating. His daughter was moving and kicking frantically, as if she felt his distress. He tried to take a deep breath, but his breathing only sped up further.

"This is not working. I'm going to …"

He vaguely heard one of his guardians saying something and the next moment he felt something pressing against his lips and a smooth liquid slipped into his throat.

The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness were the worried faces of Sirius and Remus.

* * *

_**Hogwarts** _

When Draco made his way to the dungeon room where he spent his time studying potions and creating new ones, he could feel the burning stare of the students he passed by and heard the whispers about him and Harry. He clenched his jaw and his hand flexed around his wand, trying to quell the urge to curse those naïve idiots.

His godfather looked up calmly when he closed the door behind him. Severus folded the paper and placed it on his desk, the picture of Harry lying on top.

"I take it you have read the paper?" he asked casually when he noticed Draco's furious face.

Draco nodded tersely, his hands clenched into fists.

"It doesn't look good for Potter now," Severus continued and gestured to the blond to sit down in front of him.

"Do you believe the paper?" Draco asked stiffly and his whole body stayed tense when he took a seat.

"I have never cared about what they wrote about Potter," Severus replied calmly. "I do wonder though, whether there isn't a slice of truth in the article now."

"Harry's not a slut!" Draco hissed and glared. Godfather or not, Severus would regret it if he insulted Harry.

"Of course he is not. He is too Gryffindor like to just cheat on his partner. And although his intelligence can be questioned, even he is not retarded to take a pregnancy potion and sleep with someone without having slept with Liander first." Severus curled up his lip in a sneer.

Grey eyes narrowed in suspicion. "If you don't believe that, what are you talking about then?"

"I'm talking about their suspicion that you are the father of that child." Black eyes narrowed in response.

"I never slept with Harry," Draco replied calmly, though inwardly he could feel panic bubbling up. His godfather had always been able to read him like an open book. If he discovered the truth, the consequences would be dire. He couldn't risk exposure of his secret. He would have to lie through his teeth, using his father's lessons. In the worst case scenario, he would have to Obliviate his godfather. He really didn't want to do that, but he didn't want to give up Harry and his daughter either.

"No? Is there nothing you wish to tell me?" Severus raised a thin eyebrow and clasped his hands together.

"No, nothing at all, sorry." Draco shrugged, looking calmly back.

"Hm. Then I really admire you for wanting to take care of a child who is not yours," Severus replied, a hint of sarcasm showing through his voice.

Draco didn't deem that worthy of a reply and just kept quiet.

After a long moment of staring, Severus finally looked away and took a pile of parchment which, Draco assumed, contained the essays of the fifth years.

"Today there is no lesson planned."

"Why?" Draco asked dumbfounded.

"Potions requires a clear mind, which at the moment you obviously lack. I have no desire to meet a blown up room, just because you can't concentrate properly," Severus answered stiffly. "Now get out of my sight."

"Uncle, thank you," Draco smiled gratefully and immediately left the room, leaving behind a sighing godfather.

Eagerly, Draco found the nearest fireplace and hastily threw some Floo powder in it and was whisked away by the green flames as soon as he had said his destination out loud.

"Hello?" he called out in the living room as familiar as his own.

Lupin appeared, looking slightly ruffled. "Draco? Aren't you supposed to be with Snape now?" he asked surprised.

"He gave me the day off," Draco replied, straining his ears to catch any sound that would reveal Harry's presence. "Where is Harry? Still sleeping?"

Lupin sighed and a tired look appeared in his eyes. "He's in his room. We had to give him a Somnia draught, because he became too upset. He's fine now," he added when Draco's eyes widened.

"Can I see him?"

"I suppose so. If you're with him, I can leave him to you. Otherwise I would have to call in sick. He shouldn't be left alone now."

Draco paused at the beginning of the staircase. "Where's Black?"

"He's gone to the Ministry, hoping to find a way to ban the press from posting more articles," Lupin replied and grabbed his old bag. "Thanks for staying with Harry."

Draco nodded. "Go on, I'll keep an eye on him."

Lupin gave him a grateful smile and then disappeared through the Floo.

Slowly, Draco walked up the stairs and opened the door to Harry's bedroom softly. The only light source in the otherwise dark room was a small ball of magical white light, often used by parents as a night lamp for their children. The ball illuminated Harry's face, showing the frown marring his forehead.

Silently Draco toed his shoes off and climbed in the bed next to Harry. He slid under the warm sheets and carefully encircled Harry's waist, bringing him close to his body. He turned to lay on his side and one of his hands started to caress Harry's rounded stomach, marvelling at the soft kicks his daughter gave back.

"Hn," Harry groaned softly and slowly forest green eyes opened, catching the light and they softly sparkled. He blinked sleepily and then seemed to realize someone was holding him. "Draco?" he murmured confused.

"Yeah, I'm here. Sev gave me the day off and I wanted to spend that time with you," Draco smiled softly.

Their mouths met in a slow kiss; first it was only a slight rubbing of soft lips against each other, until one of them opened his mouth and their tongues met. Their tongues curled around each other, their teeth softly nipping the other one's mouth. A sigh escaped Harry's mouth and Draco pressed harder against him, forcing the pregnant boy to recline further in his bed. Harry's arms shot out and circled around Draco's neck, pulling him closer. Draco made a humming sound in the back of his throat and released Harry's lips, allowing the younger wizard the necessity of breathing again. He slowly shifted downwards, his lips trailing a path of soft, feathery kisses until he reached the delectable smooth skin of Harry's neck.

Harry whimpered softly when lips started to suck softly on a spot right underneath his right ear and he bared his neck more, feeling Draco's smirk against his skin. The blond pulled back and after admiring the red purple bruise adorning Harry's neck, he shifted downwards until he met Harry's rounded stomach. Slowly, not breaking eye contact with Harry, whose breathing had started to quicken, his hands slid the dark blue sweater over his stomach, until it was bare. He placed both his hands on each side of the bulging stomach and dropped a soft kiss on top of the belly.

"Good morning, my little angel," he murmured and heard Harry's startled gasp. "I hope you haven't been keeping your daddy from his needed sleep."

A light push against his left hand was his answer.

A few tears had escaped Harry's eyes before they were kissed away by the blond, who had risen up again.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked bewildered and laid down again, pulling Harry back in his arms.

"I – I thought you wou-would have given up on me after that article," Harry replied in a chocked voice.

"Why on earth would I give up on you? I have wanted you for so long … there is nothing that would make me break up with you." He stroked the unruly, black hair back. "I don't care about the public's opinion. They can go fuck themselves for all I care."

Harry smiled weakly and snuggled deeper into Draco's embrace. He laid his head on Draco's chest and started to caress Draco's stomach, underneath his button up shirt.

"I'm glad you're here," he murmured.

Draco smiled and his hand was splayed across Harry's stomach, not wanting to miss any kick or push their daughter would give. "I'm glad I'm here too."

XXXXXXXXXX

After finally having convinced (aka threatened sufficiently) the Ministry to forbid the press from printing more articles; Sirius returned back home satisfied. Thinking it was a good idea to check on his godson, he made his way upstairs. Instead of meeting a sleeping Harry, he was met – to his shock – by two boys sleeping in each other's arms. His face turned a furious red and he readied himself to blow up until he suddenly deflated with a sigh. "Ah, fuck it," he murmured and closed the door, striding to his own room.

One grey eye opened when the door closed before it slid shut again, the owner of the eye smirking before sleep really took him away.

* * *

_20th of November_

After Sirius had gone to the Ministry to file a complaint against the Prophet (the accusation being harassment and slander), the newspaper was forbidden from publishing any article about Harry without his explicit consent. And they had to pay a heavy fine as an apology for the article.

Harry didn't care for the fine, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't happy with their ban of posting articles about him without his consent. It made his life easier too.

However, what he was doing now, wasn't something he considered to be easy. Having finally outgrown even Dudley's largest shirts with his growing belly, Draco had announced he would take his boyfriend out for shopping to get him decent pregnancy clothes.

Harry had protested, not keen on the idea of being stared at during the shopping spree, but in the end Draco had won of course. So here they were now, browsing through a whole selection of shirts and sweaters in all possible colours. Well, it was more like Draco was searching for a suitable sweater, while Harry stood to the side, his arms crossed awkwardly on top of his belly, a pout adorning his face.

"Are you almost done?" Harry was loathe to admit he was on the verge of whining.

Grey eyes rolled exasperatedly. "It wouldn't take so long if you helped me instead of just standing there," Draco hinted.

Harry huffed and looked away. "I don't like shopping," he muttered petulantly.

"You don't say," Draco deadpanned. "It wouldn't kill you to take a look at his shirts. Unless you prefer to walk around naked. If it wasn't for the fact that everybody would be able to look at your body, instead of only me, I would encourage that thought."

Harry glared at him, but started to browse through some pants that had spells on them to grow with his belly.

"You're having way too much fun with this," he muttered darkly.

Draco smirked. "Be glad it's only me now. If mother had decided to take your whiney arse out for shopping, you would have cried for mercy after the first hour."

Harry gave him a heavy scowl. "I don't have a whiney arse, bastard."

"No, you don't," Draco agreed and grabbed the back of Harry's neck to draw him in for a kiss. "You have a perfect arse." He winked.

Harry huffed and smacked his arm, but didn't protest when Draco bought him ten sweaters and shirts and ten pants, finally realizing resistance was futile.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Harry had finally convinced Draco to halt their shopping to eat something, when they bumped into someone Harry had rather wanted to avoid. In the middle of the street, staring at them haughtily and furiously at the same time, stood Marc Liander.

"Look who we have here." Marc shifted his icy glance from Harry, who had a feeling of dread in his stomach, to Draco who glared back. Then he focused his eyes on Harry's protruding stomach, a sneer appearing on his face when Harry placed a hand on it and tried to hide it by pulling his coat tighter around him. His sneer grew when Draco's arm came to rest around Harry's shoulders, pulling him closer to him.

"I see you managed to find someone who's foolish enough to want you like this." Marc nodded to this stomach. "Can't believe you haven't gotten rid of it. And here I thought you were smart."

Before Harry could even open his mouth to retort back, Draco replied with a sneer, "Isn't that the same thing people said to your mother eighteen years ago?"

Marc became red in his face and his hands were clenched to fists, the knuckles turning white.

Draco seemed to think of something which brought a smirk to his face. "Which reminds me, which number is the man you have to call father, now? The fifteenth?" He whistled lowly and Harry stared at him speechlessly, not certain what was going on now. "Your mother is even worse than Zabini's mother and that's saying something."

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Marc screamed outraged and raised his wand.

Harry's hand had already grabbed his wand to defend him and Draco, when a dark tanned hand suddenly grabbed Marc's raised hand and gripped it tightly until a dry 'crack' sounded and Marc's face scrunched up ugly in pain. When he fell to the ground, cradling his broken wrist, a dry voice said, "It's very rude, not to mention cowardly, to attack a pregnant person. Have you no shame at all?"

"How can you expect him to have that," a second female voice piped up, "when his mother goes through men like one changes underwear?"

"You won't get away with this!" Marc hissed when he stumbled passed Harry, clutching his hand to his chest.

Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in and stared at the two newcomers.

Blaise Zabini watched them with a smirk and Pansy Parkinson shook her head.

"By the way, Draco, I would appreciate it if you stopped using my mother as example to insult someone," Blaise remarked drily.

"Truth hurts, Blaise," Draco smiled cheekily.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Behave you two." She nodded to Harry in greeting. "Long time no see, Potter."

"Likewise, Parkinson. I didn't expect to see you here," Harry smiled. After becoming friends with Draco, he, Zabini and Parkinson had agreed to bury their grudges and he kind of became friends with them.

"I could say the same of you," Pansy answered amused. "Did Draco threaten you or something?"

"Something like that," Harry muttered darkly and his shoulder got squeezed in response.

"Thanks for helping us," Draco said, sighing.

"No problem. You sure know how to pick them, Potter," Blaise replied, shaking his head.

Harry grimaced. "When I met him, he wasn't such an asshole."

"Let's go eat something; are you joining us?" Draco asked in an attempt to change the topic. He wasn't in the mood to talk about that bastard.

"Why not? We were on our way to eat lunch anyway." Blaise shrugged.

"So, Potter, how's the baby?" Pansy asked after they had found seats in the back of a small restaurant that during lunch served tasty sandwiches.

"Good, no problems," Harry smiled and took off his jacket, scarf and mittens, placing them next to him on the cushioned bank.

Draco was sitting next to him and Pansy sat across of him.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" she asked, starting to feel excited. She had always loved children since she was little and couldn't wait to start her own family. If only her boyfriend would get the hint and ask her hand in marriage …

"It's a girl," Harry replied and his smile widened.

"Oh, a girl! How cute!" she softly squealed and her light brown eyes started to gleam in excitement.

"Oh Merlin. She's going to start again," Blaise groaned and got his arm wacked for that reaction.

"Shut up," Pansy huffed and scowled at him. "A baby girl is so cute! And with parents like hers, she's going to be even cuter."

Draco and Blaise chuckled while Harry sat there dumbfounded, not knowing how to react to that.

"Is she moving now?" she asked and looked hopeful.

"Eh, she's moving a bit now," Harry replied and before he could blink twice, the ex Slytherin girl was kneeling next to him, her hands slightly pressing on his stomach.

A big grin appeared on her face when she felt a soft nudge against her thumb.

"What is it with girls and their obsession with feeling babies kick?" Blaise raised an eyebrow in exasperation.

Draco shrugged. "Heck if I know. Although it is nice to feel her moving; makes it all more real," he smiled.

Blaise stared at him. "Merlin, you're whipped," he blurted out in astonishment and then hissed, when a harsh kick left his right ankle throbbing furiously.

They continued their small chatter and Pansy told them eagerly what they would need to buy for the nursery. Draco decided he and Harry would look through magazines later on, because he had lost the girl after she mentioned the crib; that fast she was talking.

At one point, after Harry returned from his bathroom trip because his daughter had decided to give a few swift kicks to his bladder (he hoped walking would lull the baby to sleep), the Slytherin trio had been whispering furiously to each other, but they broke up when they saw him approaching. They refused to tell him anything and in the end he had to give up, realizing they would never tell him about their conversation.

After two hours, they said their goodbyes and each duo continued their own way. Draco brought Harry home when it became clear he got tired (and like he hoped the baby was lulled to sleep by his walking) and stayed with him until he got kicked out by an annoyed godfather.

* * *

Three days later in the evening when Harry was lounging on Draco's bed, reading through magazines and making a list of furniture he wanted to have in the nursery, a letter was brought by a brown eagle and a vicious smirk appeared on Draco's face after he finished reading it.

"What's in it?" Harry asked curiously and sat up, the magazines momentarily forgotten.

"Hm? Nothing special. Blaise just told me about an embarrassing moment he had with Pansy's parents," Draco mumbled and put the letter away.

Green eyes narrowed in distrust and he got the feeling the blond wasn't telling the truth.

Before he could voice his suspicion, Draco distracted him with a question about a crib he was considering buying. By the time he went home, he had completely forgotten about the mysterious letter. He would never know that Molly Weasley was trialled privately for slander and harassment (for which she received a year in Azkaban – courtesy of members who were in debt by the Zabini family); Ron and Ginny wouldn't be able to finish their Auror training, nor start any other job in the Ministry (courtesy of the Malfoy influence that was still strong in the Ministry) or that Marc's family would be declared bankrupt and were forced to move to the European continent to start a new business. To make sure Harry would never discover what had happened, the Parkinsons made sure no newspaper got wind of the facts and that every form of communication the Weasleys or Lianders attempted to reach Harry, were blocked.

After getting rid of the pesky nuisances (like Pansy referred to them) the weeks flew by without anything noticeable happening, save for Harry's ever growing stomach.

* * *

A week before the Christmas holidays, on the 20th of December, Harry could be found in Pomfrey's office together with Sirius. Remus couldn't be here, because he had class and Draco was working on a potion. Snape had threatened with poisoning him to make sure he stayed put this time. Draco would have called his bluff, except he knew Snape would dare to do that. He wasn't a man of idle threats.

After getting a check-up, Pomfrey had made them sit in her office while she searched for something.

"You know, not even when Lily was pregnant, I could never make out the baby on the ultrasound." Sirius squinted and hold the ultrasound at another angle. "All I see is a blob. No offence, pup."

Harry chuckled and looked at another copy of the ultrasound. "I think I can see her if I look long enough."

"I wonder how Pomfrey manages to make out the baby," Sirius muttered, angling his head to the other side.

"I use my eyes, Black. That's all you need to have." Pomfrey entered her office with a book and two vials. She placed them down at her desk, that was filled with files, parchment, ink and pens and sat down on her chair.

"All right, what I'm going to tell you now, is very important so listen well," she ordered and threw a warning glare at Sirius when the man opened his mouth. Wisely Sirius decided it was better to keep his mouth shut now. "After having checked the progress of your baby, I estimate that the birth is going to happen around the 17th of February. Now there are a few things you need to know about the way the birth will occur."

Harry shifted nervously and swallowed. He had been wondering about the birth for a while now, wondering how his baby would get out. That was something Snape had refused to tell them, stating it wasn't his job.

"Now, a week before your due date, you'll have to take this potion." Pomfrey showed him a little purple vial, the liquid in it sloshing gently. "This will make you nauseous for two or three days, because the potion will soften up your inner muscles and create a lager opening between the birth channel and the womb."

"Eh, what birth channel?" Harry asked, feeling uncomfortable, not knowing whether he would like the answer.

She stared at him exasperatedly. "The inner muscles of your anal channel of course. Where else would the baby get out?"

Harry and Sirius promptly turned a fiery red and didn't know where to look from embarrassment.

He couldn't believe his baby would be born like that.

"Now," she continued and showed the other vial where in a slightly thicker fluid was contained. "This one you'll have to take the moment your contractions start; it will make sure the birth will continue without problems. Births with men as the carrier don't last long as female ones, due to this potion which will quicken the progress, but you should count at least three hours that you'll be in the progress of giving birth."

"Three hours?" Harry squeaked and he felt himself pale. Would he be able to handle that?

Pomfrey's face softened a bit. "I won't lie and say it'll be easy; giving birth is never easy. But just try to stay as relaxed as possible and let your body guide you. Your body knows what it has to do, even if it's normally not made for this."

Harry trembled a bit, but nodded. Hopefully it wouldn't be too bad and the birth would progress swiftly.

"Are there any questions?"

"Yes." Sirius cleared his throat, still feeling horrified at the information they had been given. He could have lived without the mental image. "When the contractions start, should we come here?"

"That would have been preferable, but sadly that's not possible," Pomfrey answered. "Apparating is already impossible, because the risk of splinching the baby is too big; flying would obviously take too much time; a Portkey would have the same effect as Apparating and Flooing would actually create problems, like stopping the baby from going downwards due to the pressure of the Floo. Those travel methods will only harm Potter and his child. Just warn me with a Floo call and I'll come to you to help you."

"All right." Sirius nodded, taking in all the information.

"You say Flooing would harm the baby – but I've been Flooing here every time," Harry spoke up confused. "Did I harm the baby?" He bit his lip and clenched his fists.

Pomfrey shook her head. "No, don't worry. Until the birth occurs, your magic acts like a shield around the baby, making sure that other magic can't interfere with it. But the moment your contractions start, your magic slowly releases its hold on your baby, making it vulnerable for other magic. That's why you have to stay at home once your contractions start."

Harry nodded slowly, feeling relieved and assured that his baby was all right.

"Now, if there aren't any other questions, I think it's time for you to return home." Pomfrey stood up and handed Harry the book. "This books explains everything in more detail, so you can read it at your own pace. I can't give you the potions yet, because they have a short expire date, but I'll give them to you a week before your due date."

They both thanked her and returned home, Harry clutching the book to his chest.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I think I've found her head," Draco announced that evening.

After dinner, Draco had found time to visit Harry and it was only because Remus had glared at Sirius, a threat hidden in his eyes, that Draco had been allowed to follow Harry upstairs to his room and lie on his bed without fearing castration.

He was lying against the mountain of pillows Harry had collected over the months, studying the new ultrasounds with Harry lying on his lap, the book resting against his propped up legs (well, more against his stomach).

"Really?" Harry smiled amused and turned his head to look at the ultrasound. Draco was pointing at one of the light grey spots that was softly moving in the ultrasound. Like wizard photos, ultrasounds showed the movement of the baby at the moment they were taken.

"You really should have asked Pomfrey to draw a circle around the baby. It would save us the time of searching every time," Draco drawled.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well, sorry I forgot about that after hearing how the baby will be born," he huffed, still feeling queasy when he remembered the whole conversation.

"You'll be fine." Draco clucked his tongue and smirked. "If you can defeat a Dark Lord, you can put a baby on the world too."

"Killing a madman and pushing something out of my body is not the same thing," Harry snorted.

Draco chuckled and placed his hand on Harry's bulging stomach. "I'm sure you'll do fine. Either way, I want to be there with you when you'll be giving birth."

"Is that so? What if Snape doesn't want you to let you go?" Harry asked and looked up to grey, glittering eyes.

"I'll figure something out," Draco promised. "I want to be there when our daughter is born." He smiled.

Harry smiled back and reached up to kiss those tempting lips. Draco tangled his fingers in the soft, black hair and eagerly kissed back, feeling a hand clasping around his neck, pulling him closer. They drew back after a while, lips bruised, cheeks flushed and gasping for air.

"Don't make Snape angry for my sake," Harry muttered, his eyes half lidded, his breathing slowly stabilizing again.

"How many times do I have to say it before you get it through your stubborn head? You're the most important one to me," Draco whispered and his lips touched Harry's forehead for a moment before he drew back, immensely pleased with the flush on Harry's face that was spreading out to his neck.

Their daughter gave a lazy kick, making the skin ripple a bit and making Harry wince a bit in response. The baby was getting more and more active with each day that passed and he was often woken up in the night due to his baby's energetic movements.

"The baby?" Draco questioned when he felt Harry's wince.

He nodded and grimaced. "I think she just woke up."

"Well, we can't have her beating your intestines up," Draco smirked and slid down the bed to talk to the baby. "You really should stop hurting your daddy so much. Otherwise you'll be grounded already when you finally get out." One hand was slowly rubbing soothing circles on Harry's belly and he felt something softly pushing back.

"I think she likes hearing you talk," Harry murmured with a soft smile. "She always calms down when you talk to her."

"Aw, already papa's little girl, huh?" Draco chuckled and was rewarded with another push.

While Draco continued his talk with his unborn daughter, Harry laid there, watching his blond boyfriend with a tender smile on his face. He wondered how he had gotten so lucky to have Draco as his boyfriend. He wouldn't want to trade his new little family for anything in the world.

* * *

"Don't you think he will be scared off if I give this to him now?" an anxious male voice asked his companion, showing her something in the display.

"Of course not. Why would he? If he has problems accepting the term, you can just present it as a proof of a promise," the young woman replied and softly awed when she noticed the particular object. "Oh Merlin, this is perfect for him!"

"You think?" he asked uncertainly, looking back at the display again.

"I'm sure about it. That will definitely suit him. Even the colours are right. A colour for you, a colour for him and even one for the baby," she giggled.

"I hadn't thought of that," he admitted. "That's a nice extra."

"I'd say buy it and go for it. If you don't, you're only going to regret it later."

"We're still young, darling, it's not like there's any rush," he drawled.

"Doesn't matter. I still think Christmas will be the perfect moment for it. God, I wish my boyfriend was that romantic," she complained and huffed.

He smirked. "They can't be all perfect like me."

"Oh, do shut up," she laughed.

Soft eyes looked back at the desired object and a tender smile appeared on his face. He couldn't wait to hear his response to it – which would hopefully be a positive one.

"Excuse me, I would like to buy this one."

* * *

Christmas day arrived with the familiar hectic, rushed preparations. The Christmas party this year was held at Sirius and Remus' place. Draco came with his mother and they were joined by Luna and the Weasley twins who also brought with them the gifts of Charlie and Bill.

Delicious food was enjoyed, laughter rang through the house and gifts were exchanged. Aside from gifts for the nursery, Harry also received personal gifts like books about defence from Remus, a box with newly invented pranks from the twins and a stone that would protect him from harm, courtesy of the dreamy Luna who was fascinated by Harry's belly.

He had felt intense grey eyes on him the entire night and when he met those eyes, he had felt sparks between them, making his skin prickling and his blood roaring through his veins with a feeling of anticipation. A blush was plastered on his face the entire evening and his body was thrumming with excitement. Earlier in the evening, Draco had given him a beautiful, white crib with a small, green dragon doll, but something told him that was not all he would get. He himself had given Draco a small locket that contained a picture of the both of them hugging each other, put in the left half with the right half empty, waiting for a picture of their daughter. It had seemed the perfect gift for the blond and he had obviously enjoyed the gift.

"Meet me in your room." A whisper tickled his ear and made him shiver. A fleeting caress was giving to his back before he heard footsteps walk away from him.

Taking a deep breath, he casted on quick glance at his godfather who was conversing animatedly with George and Fred. Luna was studying a sleeping Akeyra who had hid himself behind the couch in a corner and Remus was talking with Narcissa.

Reassured that his disappearance wouldn't be noticed immediately, he excited the living room, buzzing with conversation and laughter.

He walked up the stairs slowly and with each step he took, he felt his heartbeat quickening, his muscles trembling with anticipation.

The curtains were drawn in his room, but candles lit up the dark room, the soft glow of the little flames casting vague shadows on the wall.

Draco was leaning against his desk, his hands on the wood acting as some kind of support.

Harry closed the door behind him and acutely became aware of the tense sparkling atmosphere between them. Slowly, he took step for step until he stopped right in front of the blond.

"I have something else I want to give you," Draco murmured and his hand clenched around something in his right pocket. "But I'd rather give you this in private."

"Okay." Harry licked his sudden dry lips and his hands felt clammy.

"I'm willing to wait as long as I have to, but you can consider this as a promise," Draco said cryptically and he grabbed Harry's hand, the movement as quick as a snake.

The next moment the dark haired young man felt something cold and smooth slid around his ring finger. He pulled his hand back and gasped when a silver ring adorned with one small green stone, joined by two small other stones in the colours red and purple met his astonished eyes.

Speechlessly Harry stared at the ring, feeling the metal slowly warming up to his body temperature.

"I know we are both still young and it's probably the furthest thing on your mind now, but I thought we could marry in a few years, making our little family official. I want nothing else than to call you my husband and take care of you and our baby. I want to come home and see you when I open the door," Draco said softly, his voice trembling a bit. "I want to be able to fall asleep next to you and wake up each morning and see you sleeping next to me. I want to be the one who makes you smile and to whom you tell your worries and problems. I just … want to spend the rest of my life with you and make you happy." He took a deep breath and stared in wide, emerald green eyes. "Harry James Potter, will you marry me?"

"Oh Merlin," Harry breathed. He couldn't believe this was happening. In all his wildest imaginations, he had never envisioned this particular scene. Was he dreaming? A discreet pinch in his arm let him know he was very much awake. So this was really happening.

"Harry?" Draco's nervous voice broke through his stupor. "I know this is soon, but I thought I would let you know that I'm serious about you. There's no rush, I just …"

He was cut off when a mouth crushed against his own, making him stagger. Two arms slipped around his neck and a rounded belly was pressed against his own. He returned the hug and kissed back as fiercely as the other one.

"Merlin, yes, yes!" Harry whispered when he drew back and his green eyes glittered like the jewels they resembled. "Oh god, yes, I want to marry you!"

Draco's blinding smile nearly took his breath away if the next kiss hadn't succeeded in that already. Their hands tangled into each other's hair, messing it up and somehow they managed to stumble on Harry's bed. When Harry felt his legs hit the bed, he let himself fell on it and crawled backwards until he reached the headboard, never disconnecting his lips from Draco's.

Draco followed him all the way to the headboard and came to a stop between his spread legs, his hands placed next to Harry's stomach to keep him up.

"You don't know how happy you make me," Draco murmured against bruised, red lips and Harry huffed a breathless laugh.

"That's my line," he mumbled and drew back to get some air.

Sparkling, grey eyes locked onto his and Draco said softly, "I love you so much."

Harry's breath caught in his throat when his brain registered the admission and his lips fell open in an 'o' shape. Then he smiled tenderly, his eyes gaining a wet sheen to them, making them sparkle harder in the light. "I love you too."

That evening both boys fell asleep in each other's arms, the new addition to Harry's finger softly gleaming in the candle light.

A pair of amber coloured eyes looked at them tenderly as the man closed the door behind him and made his way to his own room, whispering, "Merry Christmas, boys."

* * *

The new year arrived and went and Draco was once again submersed in studying potions. Sirius was assisting Remus at Hogwarts and Harry stayed at home, not really up to going outside a lot, because his growing stomach was preventing him from making long walks. He was eight months far now and he had reached the point where he had trouble seeing his own feet. Every morning it was a fight to get up and he had already thrown several Stinging hexes at his godfather when the man had the audacity to laugh at him when he noticed his struggles.

The only slight comfort he had was the fact that his baby wasn't moving too much anymore. She didn't have that many room anymore to make her tumbles, so the only movement he felt from her was the occasional push of one of her tiny feet or hands. It made sleeping a bit easier, though his big stomach didn't allow him to choose from many positions.

During the nights he mostly laid on his back or on his side. He would have preferred lying on his stomach, but of course that was impossible now.

Draco came by each day to spend time with him and their baby, talking to him about all kind of things he could come up with.

The day after Christmas, Remus had taken notice of the new addition to his hand and Harry had shyly admitted that Draco had asked him to marry him. Remus had congratulated him immediately, but Sirius had been ready to let something explode. It had taken a while, but he had finally grown used to the fact that Draco was indeed there to stay and that the blond was really planning to stay with Harry for the rest of his life. After Sirius had given him a talk (which consisted of telling him casually all the things he would do to him if he ever dared to hurt his godson, which had made Draco trembling on his legs from fear, knowing a Black always kept their promises), Sirius had decided to stop trying to glare Draco to death and accept him.

Harry had been very relieved at hearing that, because he didn't want to be caught in between his boyfriend (or fiancé like Draco gleefully reminded him every time) and his godfather.

XXXXXXXXX

It was now the tenth of January and Harry was bored out of his mind. It was a little after twelve and Remus had dropped by already to check on him. After being reassured that he was fine, he had left again to teach his afternoon classes.

The dark haired Saviour was now lying on his bed, propped up against the mountain of pillows that delivered a bit of relief to his aching back. The weight of the baby was making his back ache and his ankles hurt and he was looking forward to the massage Draco had promised he would give him when he arrived at the house later in the evening.

"I'm going to be so glad once you're out of me," Harry sighed and pouted. His hands came to rest on his huge stomach and started to stroke it idly. "I can't wait to hold you in my arms," he smiled and felt a soft push of what seemed to be a tiny foot against the palm of his hand.  
"Your other papa can't wait either to have you in his arms. You already have him wrapped around your finger and he hasn't even seen you yet," he chuckled amused and his emerald green eyes glittered. "Which reminds me that we really need to come up with a suitable name for you. You're almost here after all; it wouldn't do to keep calling you baby."

He had been talking to his baby for weeks now; it soothed him for some reason and his baby seemed to enjoy hearing him talking too, based on her little pushes she gave when he put his hands on his stomach.

"I wonder what you will look like," Harry mused and stared out of the window where snow was softly falling down, creating a cold, white blanket on the ground and windowsill. "Your papa says he wants you to have my eyes." He smiled a bit bitterly.

Even though he was looking forward to see his baby and hold her finally in his arms after all those months, he was also a bit afraid to look at her. He still didn't know who had drugged him and so had no clue at all as to how she would look like. Would she be pale or not? Light or dark hair? His eyes or … the eyes of his rapist?

He loved her, yes, but he couldn't help the small twinges of fear he felt when he thought of the birth. Maybe if he was lucky, his daughter would mostly take after him and then he could pretend she was really Draco's daughter and not from some unknown bastard. Draco had told him it wouldn't matter to him how she looked like – he considered her as his daughter and that was that. Harry couldn't help but love him a bit more for that fact, knowing it wasn't easy for Draco to love a child that was not his own. He really had hit the jackpot when he got Draco as his partner.

Feeling restless all of a sudden, Harry struggled to sit up, breathing a bit harshly when he finally managed to sit up right.

Akeyra looked up sleepily from his place on the windowsill. "Master Harry?" he hissed in a questioning tone.

"You can go back to sleep if you want, I'm just going to stretch my legs a bit," Harry hissed back reassuringly and Akeyra laid back down again, closing his eyes.

 _Maybe the library has something interesting to read_ , he thought absentmindedly and slowly made his way to the extensive library (courtesy of Remus deciding to bring everything of the Black library to their new home, claiming it never hurt to have all that knowledge in their home), one hand on his back and one hand on top of his belly, caressing it softly.

He opened the door which creaked a bit and shut it again. His eyes wandered over the different aisles and he aimlessly walked through them, looking at the titles to see if something caught his eyes.

He was nearly at the end of the fourth row when a small, leather bound book caught his attention. "Accio book," he muttered and the book shot from between the others and landed in his hands.

" **Household spells that every wife needs to know"** was the title and Harry raised an eyebrow. This type of book was the last thing he had expected to find in the collection of the original Black library and his interest was piqued. Most of the books the Black library had contained, had at least a dozen of dark spells in them and he had a sudden perverse curiosity to see if there would be dark spells in this kind of book too and which kind. After all the women of the Black family didn't seem to be all friendly, sweet housewives. There was bound to be some interesting spells in this book.

Coughing when a cloud of dust hit him in the face after opening the book, his watering eyes slid over the index, looking for anything that seemed interesting. There were knitting spells, cutting spells especially aimed for preparing vegetables, cleaning spells, spells on how to keep areas dust free… Harry had almost given up on finding something interesting when a particular title sprung out and made him freeze.

' _ **How to discover parentage of an unborn baby'**_

He read it once, twice, thrice just to make sure he wasn't reading it wrong. There were spells to discover the parentage? Before he realized what he was doing, his hands were already leaving through the book, searching for the right page.

' _For women who accidentally slipped up and made a mistake, this spell is the best way to confirm your baby's parentage. It is quick, completely harmless for the baby and it will give you the answer to your much dreaded question: who is the father of my baby? Is it indeed your husband or is it the handsome, charming man you couldn't resist? With this spell you have the answer. You don't even have to know the father's name. After all, in the heat of the moment, you don't always stop to ask for names, right? Just say this spell once, drawing a circle within a triangle in the air and watch the result appear in front of you on parchment. Now you don't have to worry anymore that your baby could be of someone else._

_The spell is: Indicate Originis.'_

For what seemed to be an eternity, Harry stared at the text, tracing the spell with his eyes. Could this be the answer to his dreaded question? Would he finally discover who the father of his baby was? The text said it was safe – and even he didn't think women would play with their baby's life. If the spell had been wrong, it would have already been removed from the book.

Why had nobody ever told him about this spell? Hadn't they known either about the existence of it? Or had they just decided not to tell him about it?

Confusion and fear mingled together in his stomach and his breathing was heavy. Should he do it? Here was the chance to finally know his baby's father. If he just knew who had done this to him … Didn't he deserve that knowledge? Didn't he deserve to know whose baby he was carrying? Of course he deserved that, right? It was his right to know the father of his baby …

Before he could retract his decision, he had already pointed his wand in the air, drawing a triangle first, followed by a circle, saying loud and clearly, "Indicate Originis."

For one long minute nothing happened and Harry's ears were filled with the rapid beating of his heart. Had he done it wrong? Had the spell worked? Should he try again or give up?

Then his heart seemed to stop when a parchment appeared soundlessly on the table in front of him, on which he had placed the book.

With trembling hands, he picked up the parchment and read it.

' _Mother of the baby: Harry James Potter_

_Grandparents on mother's side: James and Lily Potter_

_Father: Draco Lucius Malfoy_

_Grandparents on father's side: Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy'_

Draco Lucius Malfoy.

No, this couldn't be true, this was not happening. This was all just …

A nightmare.


	13. Chapter 13: The truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: angst, a lot of it, the birth happening here (it's a natural one, because a poll on my profile at the time this story was being updated, decided on that)
> 
> This version is the one who doesn't end 'happy', if you want the happier ending, please read the next one. This chapter is the one where Draco decides to tell the truth and of course that doesn't end happy.  
> Also, I don't want to hurt anyone with this chapter, I just tried to figure out how Harry would react to this particular situation.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 13: The Truth**

Harry's mouth opened and closed again a few times, his brain refusing to accept what was written on the parchment. This was a joke, right? The spell had been mistaken somehow. There was no way Draco was … No, he couldn't be. When would he have … But that was impossible, right?

But Harry realized with a sickening feeling that spells never lied. Magic didn't lie. It couldn't lie unlike humans. So this meant …

The name Draco Lucius Malfoy seemed to be burned on the paper. Father. Draco was the father of his baby?

He placed a hand on his stomach and stared numbly at the old bookcase. Any moment now he would wake up from this nightmare. He must have fallen asleep without realizing it. Yes, that must be it. There was no way Draco …

A few teardrops slid down his cheeks and fell down on his sweater, the cloth absorbing it.

There had to be a logical explanation for this. There had to be. It just couldn't …

Harry left the book on the table and somehow managed to stumble back to his room. He sank down on the chair in front of the desk. His whole body felt numb. How did this … Why …

He needed an explanation. Surely Draco would be able to explain this. He had probably casted the spell wrong. He would talk to Draco and then ask him to do the spell. The answer would be different then. Of course it would be. Because if not, that would mean …

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat down, but it was too late. There, in the solitude of his room with only a worried snake as his companion, he broke down, sobs making his body tremble.

* * *

With a smile, Draco stepped out of the fireplace and dusted his clothes free of soot. Lupin had asked him to inform Harry they would arrive later, something to do with a teachers' meeting. So he had Harry for him alone for a few hours more.

Excitement bubbling up in his stomach, he strode up the stairs, guessing Harry would be in his room.

"Harry, Lupin said he and Black will be home late," he announced, entering the bedroom. He halted when he saw Harry's red rimmed eyes. "Harry, what's wrong? Why have you been crying? Are you in pain?" he asked worriedly and strode over to his heavily pregnant fiancé, attempting to hug him, until his hands were slapped away. "Harry?"

Green eyes stared at him and he grew uneasy when he saw the dead look. "Harry, what …"

"I casted a spell today," Harry interrupted him quietly.

"A spell?" Draco furrowed his eyebrows. The air felt stifling and every fibre of his body screamed out in warning; there was something wrong. Something bad had happened, but what?

"A spell to confirm the parentage of my baby."

With that single monotone sentence, his world fell apart. No. This wasn't … Harry knew … Fuck. This could not be happening. This had to be some kind of nightmare. If that was true, then Harry knew he was the father. He knew he had been lying and deceiving him for months. His dream of having Harry and his daughter with him was destroyed with one single spell. How would he explain this? Would he still be able to save his relationship?

"You want to know whose name came up?" Harry's voice interrupted his panic coldly.

"Harry, please, I …"

"Your name came up," the pregnant boy continued as if Draco hadn't said anything. "According to that spell, you're the father of this baby. I thought it was wrong, but magic never lies… Unlike some people. You knew, didn't you? You knew you are the father all this time and YOU NEVER FUCKING TOLD ME!" Harry screamed the last part and his hands clenched around the arms of the chair, his breathing harsh. "What did you do? Why can't I remember anything? Why am I pregnant? What the fuck did you do to me?"

Draco stared, his skin paling rapidly. It was over now. There was no way Harry would be able to ever forgive him. He lost him. What should he do? Tell the truth or make up a lie? If he could lie to Severus, he could certainly lie to Harry, who wasn't experienced in Legilimency. A lie would make sure he got to keep Harry, but …

One look at Harry's desperate, broken face made his heart shatter. He couldn't lie to Harry. Harry deserved the truth. He should have told him the moment he knew he was pregnant. Why had he thought he would be able to get away with his betrayal? Why had he been so selfish? He had singlehandedly destroyed the best thing he had in his life and for what? One night that only he remembered. For one single night, he had ripped Harry's future away from him, had turned his whole life upside down. All because he was a coward. He didn't deserve Harry, had never deserved him, but had foolishly thought he could get away with his betrayal.

He had lost Harry. There was no hope for him anymore. The least he could do was tell Harry the truth once and for all and accept the consequences.

"Yes, I knew from the moment you told me you were pregnant that I'm the father," Draco broke the heavy silence. "I … I told you I was too afraid to tell you how I feel about you. But I wanted to know what it was like to love you, even if it was only one night."

"What did you do?" Harry whispered deadly, his big eyes looking haunted.

Draco was the one who had put that look there.

"I – I brew a potion that would make you lust for the first person you saw, combined with a memory alter potion. The potion would make sure you wouldn't remember anything."

"You drugged me. I trusted you and you drugged me." Harry smiled hollowly, his eyes darkening. "Did you think it was fun to knock me up too?" he hissed venomously.

"No! I didn't know you would get pregnant," Draco replied pained. "It wasn't until I heard the news, that I searched for answers. One of the books stated that it's forbidden to combine a Lust and a Memory modifying potion, because those two create a pregnancy potion. I swear I didn't know that."

"And that makes it all better?" Harry retorted sharply. "Why didn't you tell me the truth? I deserve to know what you did."

"I know you deserve the truth, but I didn't want to lose you," Draco whispered and stared at the other one. "I love you so much … There is no excuse for what I did. You don't know how much I regret what I did. But I love you so much. I would do anything to even have a taste of you."

"Do you know how many nights I have been lying awake, wondering who the one was who raped me?" Harry said and tears slid down his cheeks slowly. "Do you know how fucking awful and disgusting I felt, knowing that someone raped me without even remembering it? How dirty I felt? I wanted to remember my first time! Fuck, I wanted … You say you love me, but then why do you do something like this? What about it shows that you love me?" He laughed bitterly. "God, I feel so stupid now. I was so happy that you were willing to act like a father to my baby, that you still wanted me like this … Of course, now I understand why you didn't have a problem with the baby. It's not difficult to be a father when you know it's your kid. Why didn't I realize this sooner? Not even Marc wanted to act like the father, so how could I ever have imagined you would for a child who's not yours?"

"Marc and I are nothing alike," Draco blurted out hotly, but winced when Harry laughed bitterly again.

"You're right, you are nothing like Marc," Harry replied coldly. "You're even worse! How dare you act almighty after I had that fight with Marc, how dare you say I was better off without him, when you were the one who raped me!" His voice broke at the last part and he hugged himself, the tears now streaming down his face, sobs ranking through his body again.

Without thinking, Draco reached out to comfort the distraught boy, but was smacked away.

"DO NOT TOUCH ME!" Harry snarled through his tears. "I trusted you! I fucking defended you from everyone who thought you would hurt me. I said you would never do that, that I could trust you with my life! Did you enjoy yourself, knowing that you took the virginity of _the_ Harry Potter? Did you get a good laugh? Was it good enough for the great Draco Malfoy?"

"Harry, no, it isn't anything like that! I love you. Please, if I could go back, I wouldn't have done it. Please, I love you," Draco said desperately and his throat felt clamped up with fear. Tears were putting pressure on his eyes, but he forced them back. This was the first time in his life he was actively begging for something, and some part in him felt humiliated for doing so, but if keeping Harry meant humiliating himself by begging, he would do it. He only refused to show his tears. He didn't want to look even more pathetic than he was already.

If he could just show him how much he loved him and regretted what he had done … He didn't, couldn't lose Harry. He and Harry were soulmates, no matter how cheesy that sounded, he knew it was true; nobody would ever manage to ensnare him like Harry did, he would never be able to love anyone as much as he loved Harry. They were made for each other, two halves of a coin, like night and day, yin and yang. Surely, Harry could feel that? Surely he would decide to give him another chance … He would atone for his sins every day, accept any punishment he was given, if only Harry stayed with him.

"I wanted you to get out of my room, out of this house and out of my life."

Draco stared at him wide eyed, horrified. "No, Harry, you can't do that; I love you!" he pleaded. "Please give me another chance. I'll do anything you want, just please don't shut me out!"

Harry stood up and leant against his desk. "No, I can't forgive you," he said, his voice broken. "I tried, but … I don't want to see or hear of you ever again. I want you out of my life."

"But our baby…"

"She's not ours, she's mine! I don't want you near her. You're not allowed to see her or visit her. She won't even know who you are," Harry snapped, crossing his arms.

"You can't do that! I'm her father; I have a right to see her," Draco growled, his eyes flashing in anger and hurt. Harry couldn't mean that, he couldn't keep him away from his daughter. Of all people, Harry should know how it felt to grow up without parents. He couldn't deny their daughter her father.

"A right?" Harry hissed, his green eyes flashing dangerously. "I should call the Aurors and tell them what you did to me, but I'm not going to do that. You should be grateful you won't end up in jail."

"Why aren't you calling them?" Draco asked, feeling a small spark of hope blooming up in his chest again. This meant Harry still loved him, right? Otherwise he would have been warning the Aurors. Did this mean he still had a chance?

Harry looked away, feeling ashamed. "Because I still love you," he muttered almost inaudibly and he hugged himself tighter. "And I don't want my daughter growing up with one father in jail." His heart clenched when he saw hope crossing the blond's face and Draco made a step towards him, but he held him back with an up raised hand. "But I can't trust you anymore. I can't stay with you, all the while wondering whether you would ever drug me again. I just can't."

"Harry, I swear I won't ever …"

"But you have done it," Harry interrupted him. "I trusted you and you broke that trust. I don't think it can ever be repaired. Maybe some day I'll be able to talk to you again, but I just want you out of my life now." He bit his lip and his fingernails dug into his arms hard, creating crescent moon shape like forms. "I can't even look at you anymore without feeling the urge to curse you. Please just leave and don't ever come back again."

Draco hung his head low and clenched his fists. The last shard of hope was completely shattered now, leaving behind an aching empty hole where just a few hours ago his heart had been.

"Fine, I'll leave," he said monotonously and his body felt numb. This was it then. He had to give up the love of his life because of his own stupidity. "But I won't ever stop loving you. I'll love you and our child until there's nothing else left of me. The only thing I regret since I met you is the fact that I hurt you and betrayed your trust. If you ever want me back, just … Know that I'll always love you," he whispered and after casting one last longing look at Harry, imprinting the image of him so that he would never forget how he looked like, he left for the last time, feeling like his heart was ripped out of his chest.

He didn't remember how he arrived in his bedroom, or how he managed to reach his bed before he broke down. All he could remember was how he lost his most precious person, because of his own stupidity and impatience. He was officially the biggest asshole on earth.

While staring at the ceiling, thinking about the conversation over and over again, wondering whether he should have said something else, done something else to convince Harry to still keep him around, tears started to pool out of his eyes, making wet trails along his cheeks before they dripped on the pillow.

His whole body felt numb and his mind was in a daze. He didn't react when his door opened and didn't react when his mother sat down next to him and worriedly asked what had happened.

Only when he felt himself being lifted in a warm embrace, the scent of his mother's favourite perfume filling his nose, did he start to sob and clung to his mother, for the first time in years. The last time he had hugged her like that, he had been six and his cat had died. The sad feeling he had then, didn't compare to how depressed he felt now.

Narcissa didn't get anything out of him for the rest of the day and eventually gave up on trying to coax her son to say what had happened, and just stayed there, embracing him and letting him cry his sorrow out.

* * *

When he heard the sound of the Floo announcing Draco's final departure out of his life, Harry sank down on his chair, staring at the opposite wall, trying to come to terms with everything that had just happened. For the umpteenth time he wished this was all just a nightmare and that he still was blissfully unaware of who the real father was of his daughter.

It wasn't only the fact that Draco had raped him that hurt him, it was the fact that he had lied for months to him and had betrayed his trust that hurt him the worst. He had trusted Draco, had been deliriously happy to find someone who loved him for him and who was willing to act as a father to his baby and everything had backfired. Why did he have to cast that spell? Hadn't it been better in hindsight to not know who was the father? Was it pathetic of him that he wished he hadn't thrown Draco out of his life? Shouldn't he have given Draco another chance?

No, he knew himself. He knew he would be wondering for the rest of his life whether Draco would drug him again or not. How could they have built up a life together if he had to constantly wonder whether he hadn't been given a potion by his own boyfriend?

A sob tore through his chest and he brought his hand to his mouth. This was all just so fucked up now. Him and his stupid curiosity.

Draco and his fucking impatience. Why had he thought that brewing a potion and making him forget everything had been better than just admitting his feelings? Why had he thought that keeping everything from him was better than telling the truth? If he had confessed from the beginning, maybe he had been able to forgive him. Maybe he had been able to give him another chance. But to find out he had been lied to for months, to know that someone whom he trusted the most had just lied right in his face and did that for months … It hurt. It hurt so much. The hurt he had felt from being dumped by Marc didn't compare to how he felt now.

Harry hiccupped and raised his hands to dry his tears. He halted abruptly when a faint sparkle around his finger let him know he was still wearing the ring. The ring that had been meant as a promise for a future together.

His finger slid around the stones and then he slid the ring of his finger. It laid innocently in the palm of his hand and he stared at it with a blank face before he stood up and walked over to the garbage can.

He should just throw it away. Why should he keep it? He had broken up with Draco. No need to keep something that belonged to him.

Resolutely he raised his hand and then … dropped it into the open drawer next to him. He couldn't do it. He couldn't throw the ring away. How pathetic of him. He wasn't strong enough to call the Aurors, he wasn't strong enough to completely hate Draco for what he had done and he wasn't strong enough to throw away the ring. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he do all those things any other normal person would have done? Some Gryffindor he was.

His hand hovered over the locket that was resting right underneath his collarbone, before he took that off too and let it fall in the same drawer with a soft' thunk'.

This was it then. He had made his choice. It would all work out in the end. Right?

He sunk back down on his bed and stroke Akeyra's head when the snake curled around his shoulders worriedly.

Yes, everything would work out. It always did. Right?

* * *

Remus frowned when he arrived at a silent house. He and Sirius shared a confused look. Normally by now, Harry would be cooking in the kitchen, Draco helping him to make sure he didn't strain himself too much.

"Where is he?" Sirius asked confused and dropped his bag on the table.

Remus shook his head. "I don't know," he muttered. "I'm going to look upstairs. Can you start dinner?"

Sirius shrugged. "Sure; just don't complain when it isn't up to your standards."

Amber coloured eyes rolled up and then Remus made his way out of the living room, up the stairs. The door to Harry's room was almost closed, but it showed that the lights in the room were on.

"Harry?" he called out and knocked on the door.

He heard the bed creaking, but then it was silent again.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he said, "I'm going in, okay?" Receiving no answer, he opened the door and stepped inside. "Harry?"

His cub was sitting on the bed, leaning against the pillows. That in itself wasn't so strange, but the fact that his face was extremely pale and his eyes puffed and red made alarm bells go off in his head.

"Harry, what happened?" he asked worriedly and made his way to the bed. He sunk down on it and Harry's snake shot him one look before he slid off his owner's shoulders and disappeared in a crack in the wall. Remus stuck his hand out and gripped Harry's chin softly, raising it to make him look him in his eyes.

"Draco and I broke up," Harry answered in a small, broken voice.

"What?" Remus stared at him shocked. "Why? Did you have a fight?"

Harry shrugged weakly and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it," he murmured and his right hand gripped a few strands of his hair, pulling on it.

"Harry, please tell me what happened. Why did you two broke up? You were going to marry in the future, right?" Remus spoke softly and placed his hand on his cub's shoulder. To say he was confused would be an understatement. He had never seen his cub as happy as he had been when he was together with Draco. He hadn't been surprised to hear that Draco had asked Harry to marry him; it had been clear to him from the beginning that the Malfoy heir wouldn't let Harry go. So what on earth had happened between them that made them break up? What had the fight been about that made it serious enough for them to quit their relationship? They weren't the type to give up on their relationship after just one fight.

"Yes, well, we're not going to marry," Harry mumbled with a blank face.

"Harry, tell me …"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

Remus closed his mouth and sighed. He brought his arms around Harry and hugged the boy. Pushing the boy would lead to nothing but stress and that was the last thing Harry needed now. "I'm here if you want to talk about it, okay?"

Harry nodded, feeling too tired to say anything else. All he kept thinking about was that everything eventually would turn out all right. He would live through this. He had to.

* * *

Ever since that night, Narcissa, Remus and Sirius had been trying to figure out what had caused the sudden break up between the boys. Neither one wanted to talk about and absolutely refused to say anything about it. Even when Snape threatened his godson, the blond refused to confide in him.

The weeks following the break up, the adults had had the faint hope that they could get the boys to reconcile again. After all, they assumed it had been a silly fight that only needed a good talking to be solved. However, when they had suggested that the boys would meet up and talk about their fight, they got to hear a clear no.

They couldn't understand why Harry and Draco didn't want to even talk with each other anymore. They had seemed the perfect couple, like James and Lily had been before they were murdered. They had even made plans to marry after the baby was born, they had even started choosing names for the baby. What could possibly have happened that made sure both Harry and Draco pretended that the other didn't exist?

They never got their answer. Even when all could clearly see that both Harry and Draco were suffering under their separation, they wouldn't even agree to one last meeting.

So Narcissa, Remus and Sirius were forced to give up. They didn't like it one bit, didn't like how the young men seemed like living corpses after their break up, but there was nothing they could do. And they hated the hopeless feeling it gave them.

* * *

But life went on and the weeks passed by and they all continued their routine. Draco went back to studying vigorously and pushed himself to his limits, while Harry prepared the baby room with the last things his daughter needed before she would arrive.

Harry had never spoken again about Draco, but Sirius and Remus had noticed how all the little gifts of Draco and all the photos with them together had disappeared one day. Only the crib had stayed. Sirius had tried a few times to talk to Harry but after a few warning spells, he had backed off frustrated. Now they all pretended that everything was all right, even though they still had many questions.

A week before Harry's due date, Poppy stopped by their house to deliver the potions Harry needed. Like instructed, Harry swallowed the first potion and the following three days were spent mostly in the bathroom, where he once again became acquainted with the toilet. His stomach was constantly churning and he had problems keeping his food down. During the nights he had troubles with finding a decent position to sleep in because he could feel how his magic was working to create a larger opening between his womb and anal channel. It was very uncomfortable and he often cried from frustration, the lack of sleep making him cranky. By the end of the third day, he was wishing the contractions would start already because it was very uncomfortable to walk around with his big stomach now.

* * *

_18th of February_

They had started around two p.m. Harry had been in the kitchen, sipping of his tea, while leaning against the counter, when he had felt like something had stabbed him in his stomach. He gasped and the nearly empty cup of tea fell out of his hands and shattered on the ground. His hand pressed on his stomach and he hunched forwards a bit.

"Harry?" Sirius came jogging into the kitchen. He had been upstairs, putting a book back on his nightstand when he had heard something shattering in the kitchen. His eyes widened a bit when he saw Harry bent over with a hand pressing against his stomach, but he quickly realized what had happened. "Contractions?" he asked and made his way to his godson, waving his wand in a circle to get rid of the shattered ceramic.

Harry bit his lip and rose up again. "Yeah, just started," he said with a grimace.

"Well, let's get you upstairs then," Sirius said and lent Harry his support while he made his way up the stairs. They passed Remus in the hallway and he raised his eyebrow.

"I'll contact Poppy," he announced and sent a Patronus. Normally he would have used the Floo, but the Ministry had sent a letter to every wizard and witch with the warning that the whole day the Floo would be unavailable due to some problems they had encountered and that needed to be cleared up. So sending a Patronus would be the fastest way to contact Poppy.

He and Sirius were supposed to be on a convention in Ireland today, but because Harry was due any day, they hadn't wanted to risk it and had decided to call off the convention. Which had been a good idea seeing as Harry went in labour today.

They didn't want to think about what would have happened if neither one of them had been home now.

Harry sunk down on the bed with a relieved sigh. The room was small and bare, except for the bed, a small table and some spare towels. Normally this room was used to store anything they couldn't place in other rooms, but they had decided to transform it temporarily into a delivery room for Harry. After the baby was born, Harry would go back to his bedroom, where a small bed had been placed next to his so that he could feed his daughter at night without having to go through the hallway and in another room.

"Here, Harry, it's time to take this," Sirius said and handed over the vial that would quicken the birth progress.

Grimacing, both from the new contraction that had hit him like a wave and from the foul taste of the potion, Harry swallowed it and almost gagged.

"Eugh, that was nasty," he said and placed the vial on the table next to the bed before he shuffled backwards on the bed until he could lean against the pillows.

"Well, potions never taste good unfortunately," Sirius chuckled. "Guess it's to make sure nobody gets addicted to them."

"Who would want to get addicted to that crap?" Harry shuddered and then grabbed the blanket he was lying on and squeezed it when another contraction ranked through his stomach.

Sirius rubbed his stomach comfortingly. "Who knows? I'm sure there are people who like the effect it gives them." He shrugged.

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but then clenched his jaw when a heavier pain slashed through his stomach.

"Well, seems Poppy wasn't lying when she said the potion would speed up things," Sirius commented when Harry uncurled from the ball he had unconsciously formed when the contraction had hit him.

"Not funny," he murmured and glared at his godfather.

"Sorry, pup. Just think of it this way: the sooner the potion speeds up things, the sooner you can hold the baby," Sirius smiled.

The grimace on Harry's face had nothing to do with the pain he felt again. Right, the baby was coming now. It hadn't hit him entirely until now. In a few hours he would be holding his baby in his arms; the proof of his one night with Draco that he still couldn't remember. How would his daughter look like? After whom would she take the most? Would it be obvious whose daughter she was when she finally arrived?

Remus and Sirius still didn't know the truth as to why Harry broke up with Draco and he wanted it to keep it that way. Not because he liked hiding things from his family, but because, even after what Draco did, he didn't want the blond to get hurt. And if Remus and Sirius knew the truth, there was no saying what they would do once they got a hold on Draco. How fucked up it may be, he didn't want Draco to be hurt by his family, even though the blond would deserve it.

Fuck, he was really pathetic.

He was startled out of his thoughts when the door opened and a brisk voice said, "Well, a day later than I expected, but with babies, you're never sure when they arrive. Now, let's see, Potter, how far along you are." Pomfrey placed her bag on the bed and placed her wand next to her. "All right, you're going to have to move more towards the end of the bed, Potter, otherwise it will be difficult to help you."

Harry pursed his lips, not feeling up to moving again; but shuffled forwards, halting in the middle of the bed when another contraction seized him. This time he couldn't hold back the groan of pain and he closed his eyes, panting. He felt his baby moving downwards and the pressure started building up.

He felt hands helping him move further and when he opened his eyes again, he saw Sirius standing by the door and he was leaning against Remus' chest.

"Sorry, Harry," Sirius smiled weakly and he looked a bit pale. "But I think I'm going to wait outside. I've never been able to deal well with births." He grimaced and closed the door behind him.

Pomfrey tsk'd and muttered a spell that removed Harry's pants before covering his now upraised legs with a white sheet. "I see he hasn't improved on that matter since Lily Potter's birth," she muttered with a scoff.

"I'm afraid not," Remus said lightly and then allowed Harry to grip his hand tightly when another contraction came up.

"You – you helped my mum?" Harry panted once the contraction disappeared.

"Yes, you were quite the stubborn baby, Potter. It took your mother fourteen hours to finally bring you on this world. Seemed like you didn't want to leave your little home," she answered amused.

"I remember that too well," Remus laughed weakly. "James went almost crazy with worry, thinking there was something wrong. I can't remember how many times Lily came close to hexing James while she was in labour."

"He worried too much," she said dismissively. "All right, seems like you still have some time left before you need to push. I'm going to give you a pain killer, but unfortunately it won't completely get rid of the pain."

This time the potion he needed to swallow was a dark red liquid that actually felt soothing when it slid down his throat.

"Oh god," he muttered and squeezed Remus' hand tightly, his muscles tensing when another wave of pain hit him.

"Try to relax, Potter. It will help with the pain," Pomfrey instructed him and ignored the death glare she got as response. She was used to those glares by now; it came with years of experience with helping wizards and witches bringing a baby on the world.

While Harry was awaiting the moment he could start pushing, Pomfrey sat there, thinking. When she had gotten the Patronus, she had gathered all the supplies she would need and rushed to here. She had expected to see the young Malfoy heir here too, seeing as he and Potter were a couple. To say she was confused to not meet him here, was an understatement. The only thing she got to hear when she questioned the absence of Malfoy was that he and Potter had broken up weeks ago, but nobody could tell why.

She frowned. She had seen with her own eyes how devoted those two were to each other and how Malfoy had acted as the father of the baby every time they came over for a check-up. Last time she saw them, Potter had even been wearing an engagement ring. She could smack herself for not realizing sooner that something was amiss, when she stopped by a week ago to deliver the potions. Why had she not noticed the absence of the ring then? Of course she had been busy, but she had seen how pale Potter had been. At that time she had contributed that to the fact that he was nearing his due date and his body had been losing more and more energy. But now she was wondering whether Potter was still suffering from the break up and if so, why hadn't those two buried their fight and became a couple again?

She shook her head faintly. It wasn't her place to say something about their relationship. All she needed to do was deliver a healthy baby on the world while making sure no complications arose during that progress.

* * *

Two hours after Harry had swallowed the potion to quicken the progress, he got to hear he could start pushing.

All at once it felt like his stomach was filled with butterflies and he felt extremely nervous. This was it now; it wouldn't be long before he could finally hold his daughter in his arms.

"All right, Potter, when I say push, you have to push as hard as you can. Don't stop until I say so, understood?" Pomfrey ordered and pulled on white gloves.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath that did nothing to diminish those butterflies.

"You'll be okay, cub," Remus murmured in his ear. "I'm here; you're not alone."

"All right, you can start pushing."

The next half hour a very sweaty Harry was pushing with everything he had. The grip he had on Remus' hand hadn't weakened once but instead of complaining, the older man was encouraging him to keep pushing and saying he was doing well so far.

He could feel his daughter dropping lower and lower until she finally went down his newly formed birth channel and then began the hardest part of pushing her out. It felt like she wasn't moving at all and he started to sob from the excruciating pain he felt, pleading inwardly that it would all end soon. He didn't know how much more pain he could take or how long he could keep pushing. He could feel himself becoming tired, but he knew he couldn't give up now. He had to keep on pushing, but it was so hard!

"Come on, Harry, you're almost there. I can see her head already," Pomfrey encouraged him and with one last scream, he pushed down with everything he had and felt his baby slipping out his body.

"Good, good, just a bit more. Just one last push and then you're done. Come on, you can do it!"

Harry took a deep breath and pushed down again until suddenly he felt empty and sore.

A sharp cry sounded through the room and Pomfrey smiled. "Look at that; a beautiful, healthy girl." After cleaning the baby and wrapping it in a soft green blanket, she handed the newborn over to Remus. "Harry, we still have to get the afterbirth out of your body, but this won't require much. Just a few soft pushes. The womb will dissolve on his own."

Harry nodded weakly and dazed he felt his body expelling something before he was cleaned up and levitated until he could lean against the pillows. His breathing finally stabilized again and he raised his head, stretching out his arms to indicate he wanted to hold his daughter.

Remus obeyed and carefully handed over the newborn to her daddy, who hold her tightly against his chest and looked at her in wonder.

She was beautiful, there was not a single doubt about that. Her face was still red, but it wasn't scrunched up anymore. Her little fists were resting on the blanket she was wrapped in and her mouth was making soft smacking sounds. Her hair was curly and … blond. The same shade that her father had. Apparently the blond gene had been stronger than his dark hair gene.

His vision became blurry and it took him a few moments before he realized he was crying.

"What are you going to name her, Harry? I need to put it on her birth certificate," Pomfrey asked softly.

"Caelyn," Harry answered after a short silence. His throat felt raw from the screaming he had done and he felt immensely tired. But he felt deliriously happy and sad at the same time. Finally after all those months he was holding his baby in his arms, her tiny, soft body against his chest. The pain he had gone through to get her here had been worth it in the end. He only wished he had been there to share this moment with him. Harry clenched his eyes shut to prevent himself from crying again. No, he wouldn't cry anymore. Not anymore about him. He was done. He had to look forwards; he had a daughter to take care of now. He couldn't keep hanging in the past.

"That's a beautiful name," Pomfrey complimented him and wrote down the name. After a short hesitance, she wrote "Potter" as last name. "Good, I'm taking these documents to the Ministry and later this week, I'll bring some potions to help you heal and prevent complications." She nodded to them and then left the room after giving Harry a last smile.

While Sirius let the nurse out, Remus took a seat on the bed and stared at the baby. Could it be? No, that was impossible, right? Because if this was true, then …

"Harry?" Remus broke the silence and only the tiny jerk of Harry's head let him known he was heard. "Can I ask you something?"

"I suppose," Harry answered in a scratchy voice, but his eyes were firmly fixed on his daughter, his finger carefully stroking her soft cheek. He still couldn't believe this perfect creature had come out of his stomach. It was just unreal.

"Caelyn's father … It's Draco, isn't it?"

Slowly Harry nodded once with a pained look on his face.

"What happened?" Remus whispered, shock numbing his body. He hadn't wanted to believe his suspicion. When Pomfrey had given him the baby, he had frowned when he noticed how blond her hair was. The only family who had that exact same shade of hair was the Malfoy family, but surely this was just a coincidence, right? Harry had been pregnant before he had gotten together with Draco, so why did this baby girl have the same hair shade as him?

Suspicion had risen up in his head, but he had squished that down, not wanting to believe it.

"The day I broke up with him," Harry suddenly started explaining, "I had used a spell that would give me the name of the father of my daughter. I – I just wanted to know who was the father, you know. And suddenly the spell said … it said it was Draco." Green eyes clenched shut in pain. "I didn't want to believe it at first, but then Draco arrived and I – I told him what the spell said and he didn't deny it. He said he knew from the beginning he was the father."

"But how come …" Remus stared at Harry horrified.

"I asked him how this had happened and – and he said he had drugged me with some kind of potion he had invented. Said he had been in love with me for a long time, but was too cowardly to confess and therefore made a potion that would make sure I wouldn't remember anything that happened that night. But the potion botched up and acted as a pregnancy potion too."

"You mean he was the one who …"

Harry just nodded, his heart clenching in pain with the memory.

"That bastard!" Remus hissed furiously. How dare that scum do this to his cub? He had trusted him to take care of Harry, had defended him against Sirius when his best friend had uttered his doubts about their relationship. And now it came out that he had been the one who had raped Harry? How was he able to look himself in the eyes? How had he been able to hug Harry and touch him, knowing full well he had raped his best friend and drugged him?

"I'm going to kill him."

"No, you won't." Harry's voice stopped him when he had stood up and had every intention to go to Malfoy manor and show that bastard exactly what happened when you hurt a werewolf's cub.

"Harry, he raped you. He deserves to be punished," Remus said coldly and his hand clenched around his wand. "There is no excuse for what he had done. He deserves to be punished for what he did to you!"

"Please, just don't, Remus." Harry sounded tired and he looked at him with pained, green eyes. "I don't want him to be punished."

"Why not? What he did to you is unforgivable!"

Harry winced. "I just … I can't. I don't want you to hurt him. I – I …"

Remus sagged against the wall and sighed. "You still love him, don't you?" he said softly. Even though he wanted nothing more than to march over to Malfoy manor and teach that bastard a lesson, he didn't want to hurt Harry in the progress of doing so. The wolf in him demanded revenge, but the needs of his cub were more important than the feelings of revenge.

"I know it's pathetic, but I can't help it," Harry whispered. "I know I should let the Aurors deal with him, but … I still love him. Despite what he did, I love him and hate him at the same time. I don't trust him anymore, but … for some reason I just can't stop loving him." He laughed weakly and continued, self-disgust ringing through his voice, "I tried to hate him; I tried to stop loving him, but I can't. I can't look at him anymore, but I don't want him to suffer either. I know I'm fucked up," he said miserably.

"Oh, cub, you're not fucked up," Remus sighed sadly and crossed the room to sit down again and take Harry's hand in his. "You just love him. You can't stop yourself from feeling like that. It's not your fault."

"I told him I never wanted to see him again," Harry said softly and peered at Remus through his fringe. "Please promise me you won't do anything to him. I don't want my daughter to grow up with her father in prison or worse."

"Are you going to tell her later who her father is?"

"No, but …" Harry sighed frustrated, not sure how he could explain why he didn't want his daughter to grow up, knowing her other father was in jail.

"I promise I won't hurt him. It's your decision. Just know that Sirius and I are there for you, okay? We'll help you with the baby and everything else you need us for."

Harry nodded with a weak smile. The next moment, Caelyn opened her mouth and began to cry.

"Seems she's hungry," Remus smiled faintly and stood up. "I'll make a bottle for her."

* * *

_20th of February_

Narcissa pursed her lips and glared at the closed door that hid her son. She had been trying for weeks to get him to talk to her about what had happened between him and Harry, but he wouldn't budge. She was nearing the end of her patience. She wanted to know why the boy, whom she considered her second son, didn't even come to visit her anymore. She hadn't heard anything of Harry, aside from the fact that he took the break up pretty badly when she contacted her cousin.

Resolutely she turned around and changed into beige pants and a white sweater, putting on a black coat that reached her ankles. She needed to see Harry, to make sure he was all right. And how was the baby? Had she been born yet or was Harry overtime?

She marched outside and Apparated as soon as she passed the wards.

It was Remus who opened the door when she knocked. "Hello Remus," she greeted him politely. "I'm sorry for not warning you ahead that I was coming. I'm sorry to intrude."

"Not at all, come on in," Remus smiled tiredly and stepped aside to let her in. "I assume you want to see Harry?"

She nodded and took off her coat. "If that isn't too much of a bother. I can come back later if this is a bad time."

"No, it's not a bad time. You can go up to see him. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," Remus smiled.

She raised an eyebrow, but climbed the stairs and crossed the hallway.

She halted suddenly when she heard Harry talking and peeked through the crack of the door opening. She softly gasped when she saw Harry sitting in a rocking chair, a bundle held against his chest and a bottle raised in the air, while the sound of sucking filled the room.

Harry looked tired, with bags underneath his eyes, but happy. Well, that was not quite the right word. He looked happy and sad at the same time.

"You're such a beautiful girl," Harry murmured while he stared with soft eyes at the bundle. "You look more like your father than like me." His voice seemed to catch a bit there.

Narcissa took a deep breath and then knocked. Her mind was reeling with the realization that she was a grandmother. Harry had given birth already. Her granddaughter was finally here.

"Yes?"

"May I come in, Harry?" She held her breath when she heard the sudden intake of breath and for one moment it was deadly silent.

"Narcissa?" Harry's voice sounded shocked and when she opened the door fully, she looked straight in his wide, green eyes.

"Congratulations with your baby," she smiled and carefully entered the room, keeping an eye on the young father to make sure she was welcomed here.

"Thank you," Harry smiled tiredly and placed the now empty bottle on his desk and brought his baby up to his shoulder, after placing a towel on his shoulder and patted her back softly to make her burp. Caelyn hiccupped and then the next moment something warm and wet soaked the towel. "Good girl," he whispered and waved his wand to make the towel disappear.

"What's her name?" Narcissa asked, her eyes trained on the baby she wanted to see.

"I named her Caelyn," he replied and brought her back down. He glanced at the woman he considered his second mother. "Do you want to hold her?"

"May I?" Her face lightened up and she stretched out her arms, hugging the baby to her chest when Harry placed her in her arms. She looked down and blinked when she was met with rosy cheeks, a soft plump mouth, watery green eyes that were inherited from Lily and curly, blonde hair. Blonde hair that was very familiar to her. The same shade she saw every time she looked at her own son. "When was she born?" She looked at Harry while she softly rocked Caelyn.

"Two days ago," he answered, his eyes fixated on his daughter. "At four fifty in the afternoon."

"She's beautiful," Narcissa smiled. "She has your eyes, but …"

"The hair from her father, yes," Harry completed her sentence brusquely.

"What did my son do?" she asked, fearful for the answer. You had to be nearly blind to not notice that the blonde hair was inherited from Draco. But how had this happened? Had her son put a spell on the baby while she was still in the womb to create the illusion that she was his child? If he had done that, was that the reason for his fight with Harry? Or … She didn't dare to think of the other possibility. That couldn't be true; her son wouldn't do that. Right? He could never do that. He wasn't like that.

"Draco did something that I can't forgive him for," he replied stiffly. "And because I can't trust him anymore, I broke up with him."

"Did he …" She couldn't utter the dreaded words, desperately wishing it wasn't true.

Harry's silence was enough as an answer.

"I don't want to talk about it, Narcissa. It's in the past. I don't want to linger thinking about it. Just know that, while I don't trust him anymore, I don't want him to get hurt either, so that's why I didn't hand him over to the Ministry," he answered softly with a pained grimace.

"I'm so sorry, Harry. I can't believe he did that. I wouldn't hold it against you if you wanted to punish him," Narcissa said and swallowed. Her heart bled for the two boys. She still didn't know the full story and while she didn't want to lose her only son, she hadn't wanted Harry to get hurt either.

"It's in the past," Harry repeated with a sigh. "Please don't treat him different from now on. He needs you."

"You need me too," she said calmly. "That is, if you don't mind me coming over to visit you. I promise I won't take my son with me unless you specifically ask for him."

"You're her grandmother," Harry smiled softly. "I'm not going to keep you away from her."

She rapidly blinked the tears away that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. "Thank you." At that moment Caelyn started to struggle a bit and was moaning in protest. "I think she wants back to her daddy," she chuckled and laid the baby girl back into Harry's arms.

"Can I … can I tell him you gave birth?" she asked hesitatingly.

Harry seemed to freeze for a moment before his shoulders sagged down. "Yes, you can tell him. But I don't want to see him."

"Understood."

* * *

Draco sighed for the umpteenth time and stared out of the window. He wasn't getting any studying done. Again. Not surprising really. Even though he had thrown himself in his studying, he hadn't forgotten what week it was now. Somewhere this week Harry was supposed to give birth if the baby was on time. He wondered how his daughter would look like. Would she have his hair colour or eyes? Or Harry's? After whom would she take more? How long would Harry be in labour? Would he be in a lot of pain?

Not for the first time he wished he had lied instead. If he had lied, he could have been there with Harry, supporting him while he gave birth and he could see his daughter growing up. He knew he was lucky that Harry hadn't handed him over to the Ministry, but _he missed him so much_. Every night he fell asleep after staring at the photos of them two together. The only thing that kept him going every day was the thought that maybe some day, Harry would be willing to talk to him again. Just talking would already be enough.

He sighed and looked at the untouched plate of food his mother had sent up. He felt guilty for hiding such a harsh truth from her, but he didn't want to lose her. She and his godfather were all he were left. Sure, he still had contact with his friends, but he didn't have a strong bond with them. Besides, they all had their own lives and worries now.

"Draco? I'm coming in." His mother's voice startled him and he nearly fell off his chair when his body jumped in reaction.

His mother entered the room, clad in a beige pants and soft white sweater. Her cheeks were rose and her eyes contained an excited glitter.

"Mother, have you been out?" Draco asked surprised and turned around to face her.

"Yes, I visited someone," she answered and took a seat on his couch.

"Oh, who?"

"Harry."

Draco froze. She had visited Harry? "H-How is he?"

"Good. Tired, but that's to be expected. Caelyn keeps him up at night, but that's something most do the first few months." Her icy blue eyes stared at him, her face blank.

His mouth felt dry. "Caelyn?"

"His daughter. She was born two days ago around four fifty in the afternoon. She's beautiful. The eyes of her daddy, but the hair of her father."

He was a father. He had a daughter named Caelyn. His head felt light and his heart started beating wildly in his chest. His heart clenched at the thought that he would never see his baby girl.

"He doesn't want to see you." Mother broke through his thoughts.

"Did – did he tell you what happened?" Was this the moment his mother told him to get out of the house? Was this the moment she would show him how disgusted she was with him? He couldn't even blame her if she did that.

"No, he said it was in the past. But I have an idea as to what happened. I'm ashamed of you, Draco. I never thought you would do something like that." Her words were like the Cruciatus curse and he dropped his head, no longer able to look her in the face.

Soft footsteps echoed through the room and he winced when a soft hand gripped his chin and pulled his face up to look her in the eyes.

"I love you, Draco, you're my son. I'm not going to abandon you, but it hurts me that you did something like that to Harry. I don't know what went through your head that you thought that was the best solution and I don't think I want to know," she spoke softly. "I would punish you if that was possible, but I think that Harry leaving you is a punishment on its own already. I know you love him, Draco, but you brought this upon yourself."

She released his chin and walked over to the door. "Oh yes, Harry gave me something else," she said and placed something on his bed. "I want to see you tonight during dinner; it's time you stop hiding in your room. You can do nothing else but look forward now."

With those slightly cryptic words, she left the room and closed the door.

After long hesitating, Draco stood up and his trembling legs brought him to his bed. Taking a deep breath and swallowing the lump down that seemed to constrict his throat, he reached out and picked up the thin package. He opened it and his vision began to blur when he saw what it was.

It was a photo of a tired looking Harry, sitting propped up against the pillows in his bed, holding their daughter against his chest. The Harry in the picture said something to the one taking the picture and then bent down to drop a kiss on their baby's forehead before looking at her with a tender smile.

The photo was pressed against his chest tightly as if to protect it and his head bowed, teardrops falling down on his sheets.

Whatever would happen in the future, he would make sure that he became something worthy of Harry's trust and love. And maybe someday, Harry would want to see him again and he would get to know his daughter.


	14. Chapter 14: The Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a bit of angst, but not much, a lot of fluff mostly; and the birth happens here 
> 
> This one is the 'happier' one. Aka, where Draco tells a lie instead of confessing. This of course leads to a whole other continuation of their lives. The first paragraphs of this story are of course the same as the former one, but it will end up entirely different from the former one.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 14: The Lie**

Harry's mouth opened and closed again a few times, his brain refusing to accept what was written on the parchment. This was a joke, right? The spell had been mistaken somehow. There was no way Draco was … No, he couldn't be. When would he have … But that was impossible, right?

But Harry realized with a sickening feeling that spells never lied. Magic didn't lie. It couldn't lie unlike humans. So this meant …

The name Draco Lucius Malfoy seemed to be burned on the paper. Father. Draco was the father of his baby?

He placed a hand on his stomach and stared numbly at the old bookcase. Any moment now he would wake up from this nightmare. He must have fallen asleep without realizing it. Yes, that must be it. There was no way Draco …

A few teardrops slid down his cheeks and fell down on his sweater, the cloth absorbing it.

There had to be a logical explanation for this. There had to be. It just couldn't …

Harry left the book on the table and somehow managed to stumble back to his room. He sank down on the chair in front of the desk. His whole body felt numb. How did this … Why …

He needed an explanation. Surely Draco would be able to explain this. He had probably casted the spell wrong. He would talk to Draco and then ask him to do the spell. The answer would be different then. Of course it would be. Because if not, that would mean …

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat down, but it was too late. There, in the solitude of his room with only a worried snake as his companion, he broke down, sobs making his body tremble.

* * *

With a smile, Draco stepped out of the fireplace and dusted his clothes free of soot. Lupin had asked him to inform Harry they would arrive later, something to do with a teachers' meeting. So he had Harry for him alone for a few hours more.

Excitement bubbling up in his stomach, he strode up the stairs, guessing Harry would be in his room.

"Harry, Lupin said he and Black will be home late," he announced, entering the bedroom. He halted when he saw Harry's red rimmed eyes. "Harry, what's wrong? Why have you been crying? Are you in pain?" he asked worriedly and strode over to his heavily pregnant fiancé, attempting to hug him, until his hands were slapped away. "Harry?"

Green eyes stared at him and he grew uneasy when he saw the dead look. "Harry, what …"

"I casted a spell today," Harry interrupted him quietly.

"A spell?" Draco furrowed his eyebrows. The air felt stifling and every fibre of his body screamed out in warning; there was something wrong. Something bad had happened, but what?

"A spell to confirm the parentage of my baby."

With that single monotone sentence, his world fell apart. No. This wasn't … Harry knew … Fuck. This could not be happening. This had to be some kind of nightmare. If that was true, then Harry knew he was the father. He knew he had been lying and deceiving him for months. His dream of having Harry and his daughter with him was destroyed with one single spell. How would he explain this? Would he still be able to save his relationship?

"You want to know whose name came up?" Harry's voice interrupted his panic coldly.

"Harry, please, I …"

"Your name came up," the pregnant boy continued as if Draco hadn't said anything. "According to that spell, you're the father of this baby. I thought it was wrong, but magic never lies… Unlike some people. You knew, didn't you? You knew you are the father all this time and YOU NEVER FUCKING TOLD ME!" Harry screamed the last part and his hands clenched around the arms of the chair, his breathing harsh. "What did you do? Why can't I remember anything? Why am I pregnant? What the fuck did you do to me?"

Draco stared, his skin paling rapidly. It was over now. There was no way Harry would be able to ever forgive him. He lost him. What should he do? Tell the truth or make up a lie? If he could lie to Severus, he could certainly lie to Harry, who wasn't experienced in Legilimency. A lie would make sure he got to keep Harry, but … But what? He could lie, right? If he lied, he wouldn't lose Harry. He wouldn't be taken away from him and he wouldn't lose their daughter either. If he told the truth, then everything was over. He would have neither of them. That was just out of the question. There was no way he would live without Harry. But he didn't want to lie to Harry. What kind of person would he be if he lied to his lover about something as horrible as that?

 _Someone who gets to keep his lover and their child_ , a voice hissed in the back of his mind. _If you tell him, you can say goodbye to both. Is that something you're willing to risk, just to tell the truth? Besides it's not a real lie you're going to tell him. Just a bit of omitting the truth. That's all._

Yes, omitting the truth sounded better than thinking of it as lying. Just one tiny lie. That was all. After this he would never lie to Harry again, that he swore.

"Draco?" Harry's tone of voice warned him that if he didn't start talking soon, he would find himself at the wrong side of his wand.

"That was actually what I wanted to talk to you about today," Draco began and frantically searched for a good lie. He needed something that Harry would believe immediately.

"What?" Harry breathed harshly out and stared at him with narrowed eyes, a suspicious look on his face.

"I received a letter today," Draco spoke slowly and forced himself to calm down. If he looked too panicked, even Harry would notice that he was lying. "I don't know this person who sent it and whoever it was didn't give a name either."

"What was in that letter then?" Harry asked impatiently. Absentmindedly he started rubbing over his stomach when he felt his baby kicking frantically. He swallowed a pained hiss; with his baby not having much room to move around, her kicks somehow hurt more when she did decide to move.

"I still can't figure out when that person managed to do it, but apparently whoever it was, had a grudge against us for some strange reason and decided to dose us with a potion." All right, he could do this. Harry sucked at potions, so he would never even try to look it up. He could manage this; everything would work out if he just stayed calm.

"What kind of potion? What has this to do with everything?" Harry asked confused and sat up straight in his chair. Someone with a grudge against them had given them a potion? Well, that really didn't narrow anything down. There were still a lot of people who bore a grudge against him for befriending a Malfoy, and if this person had left nothing of his or her identity, he would never know who was the culprit in all of this.

Still, strangely enough a tiny sliver of hope rose up in his chest. This all had an explanation. An explanation in which Draco was obviously as innocent as him. Meaning that Draco hadn't done anything to harm him.

Draco hadn't lied to him for all those months and one look at his sincere face now showed he wasn't lying now either.

"From what I could understand, that person dosed us with a memory altering and lust potion. In other words, he or she made sure that after the Lust potion wore off, we would forget everything that happened," Draco continued, feeling his confidence return with each sentence that left his mouth. Yes, this was going well. Harry had calmed down and was listening to him.

"So, what? That person somehow made sure that we forgot what happened and made sure we had sex?" Harry said slowly, trying to wrap his brain around those confusing facts. Why would anyone with a grudge to do that? What was the point? "What is the point in all that? And that still doesn't explain why I got knocked up."

"I'm getting there. I was wondering the same thing why you got pregnant and I researched some books. Apparently when a Lust and a Memory alter potion are combined, they form a potent pregnancy potion," Draco replied softly. "I think this person knew what the effect of it would be, because the letter stated that he or she wanted to make it seem like I raped you and the result would be clear when the baby arrived. Which would result in a big mess. I tried to figure out a way to discover who sent the letter, but I didn't find anything on it. The only clue I have is that this person must live abroad, because the owl who brought it, seemed very tired. Too tired to come from anywhere in England or Scotland."

"So this person was hoping you would be accused of raping me and then being thrown in prison? Who would do such a thing?" Harry asked, feeling furious, his eyes sparking with it. What kind of asshole tried to screw up their lives so much? How big was the grudge of his person to do such an awful thing?

"Someone who must really hate me, but there are so many people who would love to see me up in jail for just daring to be your friend that I wouldn't know where to start finding them," Draco sighed, putting on a miserable face. Inwardly however he was screaming in joy when he realized that he had won over Harry. Harry believed him; he wasn't angry at him anymore, but instead at an imaginary person. He wouldn't lose him. He could keep him and their daughter. The huge feeling of guilt in his stomach clashed with his feeling of joy, but he forced himself to ignore that. He could deal with the guilt if that meant he still got to keep Harry. After all these years, he finally had him and he wouldn't let go of him. If that meant lying, then so be it. It was just one lie. That was all. After this he would never lie again and he would make sure Harry and their daughter got the best life they could ever wish for.

"But that isn't fair! What that person did, wasn't a harmless prank! For Merlin's sake you could have ended up in jail!" Harry snarled and stood up, walking back and forth in front of his chair in a feeble attempt to get rid of his pent up temper. "God, I can't believe it!" His magic started to respond to his anger and began to crackle dangerously.

Draco stepped in front of him and wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Harry, calm down. It won't do you any good to be in this state," he murmured and dropped a kiss on Harry's forehead, right where his scar was when the younger man looked up with huge, green eyes that started to water.

"I'm sorry, Draco, that I doubted you. I just thought … When I did that spell and your name came up, I just thought …" His breath hitched and a few teardrops slid down his cheeks, his arms coming around Draco's waist and he laid his head against his chest, feeling ashamed that he ever doubted his boyfriend. He should have known that Draco would never hurt him. How could he have ever thought that Draco was capable of doing something as horrible as that? He should have trusted him more.

"Hey, hey, I'm not mad. I kind of understand why you would think that," Draco said and ran a hand through the shaggy, dark hair in a soothing manner. "I'm just glad I got the chance to explain everything."

"Still I'm sorry; I should have known better," Harry muttered ashamed. Then he frowned. "Maybe we should take the letter to the Aurors and see if they can discover anything?"

"That's a good idea," Draco said after a little pause. "I'll bring it to them tomorrow."

"Hopefully they can catch the one who did all this." Harry frowned.

Draco led them both to the bed and sat down on it, Harry following to curl up next to him. "I hope so too. I don't think that person is going to try anything else, but it's better to be sure," he mumbled.

"I hope so too," Harry sighed and reached up to thread his fingers through fine, blond hair, raising up a bit to kiss Draco softly on his lips. "Although I'm actually glad it is your baby that I'm carrying," he admitted shyly.

Harry would like to think he would have still loved his baby the same if someone else had been the father, but now knowing for sure that he was carrying Draco's child made it all somehow … better, more amazing? He didn't know how to word the feeling he got at the realization that he and Draco were now really forming a family. His baby would have traits of Draco and everybody would see who her parents were. Nobody would dare to ridicule her in case she looked like someone else. Nobody would ever dare to taunt her for having another man as a father instead of Draco. Nobody would be able to hurt her by insulting her parentage. That was something Harry had been afraid of. If his child looked like the man who had raped him, would his daughter be taunted with it? Be bullied with the fact that the man acting as her father wasn't really her father? He didn't want his child to be hurt like that, never to be hurt period. Now he couldn't wait to see how his daughter would look like. A mix of him and Draco. He smiled tenderly at the thought of a blonde haired, green eyed girl or a dark haired, grey eyed girl.

Draco smiled too and slid his hand underneath Harry's sweater to caress his large stomach. "I'm happy too. I would have loved her even if she was from someone else, but I'm still happy that I'm the father," he admitted and the couple shared another sweet kiss.

* * *

An hour later, they were both lying underneath the sheets, Harry buried in Draco's arms, having falling asleep half an hour ago.

Draco sighed and placed his hand on top of the bulging stomach, feeling a faint movement. Merlin, he felt awful for lying like that. Harry deserved someone better than him, but he didn't want to let go of him. Was it bad of him to want to keep his family? Could he be really blamed for the fact that he just didn't want to lose Harry? He loved him with everything he had and he swore he would do everything to make Harry happy. Was it really bad of him to love him?

He only needed to clear one last obstacle, it being the non-existent letter and then nothing would be able to become between them anymore. Harry would stay with him instead of leaving him and he would be able to see his daughter grow up and who knows? Maybe even have more children with Harry. He certainly wouldn't mind to having more than one.

He smiled and closed his eyes. Yes, everything would work out in the end.

* * *

A week after Harry's discovery of the real father, Draco had told him angrily that the Aurors hadn't been able to get any clue of the letter, because the letter had exploded right in their faces when they had casted spells on it, thus destroying the only evidence they had. Draco had been so angry that Harry had been the one who had to calm him down, saying that even if he would have liked to find the culprit and punish him, it wasn't that important anymore. They had each other and a baby coming on the way, so that was the only thing that mattered now. The only thing important now was their little family.

Draco, who was still torn with guilt, had accepted Harry's decision and had hugged him, feeling like the biggest asshole on earth for lying to the one he loved the most. Unfortunately even that heavy feeling of guilt wasn't enough to make him confess. Everything had turned out perfectly, he didn't want anything to screw up their happiness.

After a long evening of talking, they had decided to inform their family of what had happened before they would have a big shock when the baby arrived.

As expected, their family had been furious to hear what had happened to them but like Draco stated, with the evidence destroyed, they couldn't do anything, to which they couldn't bring any other argument.

Supressing his smile, Draco walked into the kitchen of Harry's home, intent on making some tea for his fiancé. Finally finding the teabag with Harry's preferred flavour, he turned around to reach for the kettle when a hand, tainted with a few light scars, handed it already over to him. He looked up startled and stared straight in amber coloured eyes.

"You startled me," he muttered but accepted the kettle, filling it with water and then putting it on the fire to heat it up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to do that," Lupin replied calmly and leant against the counter top with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Draco felt those eyes staring at him, but he refused to acknowledge them, instead concentrating on adding sugar to the blue mug. Lupin had been strangely quiet throughout the whole explanation, his eyes having been fixed the whole time on Draco. It had made the blond nervous and had him wondering if Lupin knew more than he let on. And if that was the case, how much did he know?

"I guess even with this whole affair, it turned out well for the both of you," Lupin started idly. "I've never seen Harry as happy as he is now, now that he knows he's carrying your child. I suspect it must have been a relief for him to know that ultimately the child is of someone he loves."

"Is that something wrong?" Draco turned around to face him again with a frown on his face. He felt highly uncomfortable now. Lupin was one of the most calm people he had ever met, but he was still a werewolf. Draco clearly remembered the texts he had studied about werewolves in his third year. One piece of information was clearly branded in his brain: _**"A werewolf is extremely protective of his or her pack, especially ones he or she considers his or her 'cubs'. Those 'cubs' can be his or her children, but also children of people of his or her pack. One should never try to harm a 'cub'. Even something as light as insulting a 'cub' can be enough incentive to make the werewolf furious. The damage werewolves can do to someone who actively harmed one of their 'cubs' is immense, often resulting in death. Therefore it's highly advised to never do anything that can mean a potential harm to a werewolf's 'cub' if one wants to avoid death."**_

If Lupin suspected something, he was screwed.

"No, that's not wrong. I'm happy for him. I'm sure you're happy as well." Lupin raised an eyebrow.

Draco nodded warily, not daring to say anything. He felt out of his element, floundering around while not knowing for sure what to do. All he knew for certain was that this conversation could turn ugly.

"I'll say this one last time, Draco." Lupin bent a bit forwards, leaning into Draco's personal space and pinning him to the floor with his sharp gaze. "If you ever try to hurt Harry, I'm going to make sure you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. I'm certain Sirius would love to join in. You know what a Black is capable of, Draco. Make sure you don't have to experience that." With that last cryptical remark, Remus turned around and walked out of the kitchen.

Draco took a shuddering breath and his hand trembled when he grabbed the kettle. Even if Lupin wasn't sure about what had happened, he did have a suspicion. But as long as he couldn't prove anything or Draco didn't do anything to hurt Harry, he would leave him alone. Draco understood the warning clearly. _Fuck up one more time and you're dead_.

"Draco?" Harry appeared in the kitchen, his hand resting on his back and the other cradling his swollen stomach. "Did Remus say something to you?" He cocked his head to the left, confused.

Draco forced himself to smile reassuringly. "Nothing to worry about," he assured the other boy and walked over to him with the steaming mug in his hand. He placed a hand on Harry's back. "Let's go back to the living room. Mother is eager to talk about the nursery room with you."

Harry groaned. He loved Narcissa, really he did, but she could be a bit overbearing at times.

Draco chuckled when he heard Harry's exasperated groan and together they walked back to the living room.

* * *

Life went on and the weeks flew by. During the day, Draco was studying Potions with his godfather and Harry busied himself with either decorating the nursery room (though that mostly happened when Draco was with him, because the blond insisted on decorating it together), ordering baby clothes, reading books or resting. A male pregnancy heavily relied on the carrier's magic, so the baby sapped a lot of energy which made him tire quickly. Pomfrey had visited him when he was three weeks from his due date and examined him, pronouncing him healthy and the baby progressing at a good rate.

While Harry was deliriously happy that he was carrying Draco's child, this didn't mean he didn't get annoyed at the blond. Carrying a heavy weight with him every day not only tired him out quickly, but also made him cranky at times, which he sometimes took out on Draco, who took it all fairly well.

"No, Draco, she's not going to wear that," Harry said stubbornly and crossed his arms, glaring at the blond.

It was Sunday afternoon and Draco and he were in the nursery room, putting away the baby clothes. When Draco's friend, Pansy had heard of Harry's pregnancy and his involvement in it as the father, she had started collecting baby clothes and then had sent over a lot of baby clothes to help them out. One of those things was a yellow crawl suit with big ducks printed on them which quaked every time they were pushed on their tummy. The noise that followed that was what made Harry refuse to let his daughter wear it. Well that and that particular colour of yellow was just ugly.

"What is wrong with it?" Draco asked exasperatedly and held up the offensive cloth.

Harry wrinkled his nose and grimaced. "It's ugly and it makes too much noise. No way my daughter is going to wear that!"

"She's my daughter too, you know," Draco pointed out amused, but placed the crawl suit on the discard pile on his right. "Fine, which ones do you think are good enough for the baby?"

Harry's face cleared up and he began to search through the pile, immediately picking out the suits he thought would look cute on his baby.

Draco heaved a relieved sigh. At least this little argument had ended well.

* * *

A week before Harry's due date, Pomfrey visited him to hand over the potions. Once again she informed him which one to take first and what he could expect from it.

So dutifully, Harry swallowed the first potion that would prepare his body for the birth. The toilet and he had regularly dates throughout the following three days. The nausea he felt was even worse than the one he had experienced in his first few months of the pregnancy. His stomach revolted against the thought of food and for those three days he could only hold down some soup. At night he was mostly awake, due to the uncomfortable churning that he felt in his stomach and nothing managed to help him sleep. Needless to say, this made Harry very cranky.

Draco had requested the week off to take care of Harry and it was only because he had been studying so diligently and they were actually ahead of schedule, that Snape had given him permission to take the week off. However he had to be back next week on Monday morning at exactly nine a.m. or otherwise he would face the consequences. Draco just hoped that the baby would be on time – he didn't want to miss the birth of his first child!

So while Harry was barfing up what felt like all his intestines, Draco sat next to him, rubbing his back and placing cool, wet washcloths against his neck and forehead. At night he kept Harry company, trying to soothe his stomach by rubbing a thin paste on it that was ideal for pregnant people to get rid of some of their uneasiness.

The only reason why he was allowed to stay with Harry during the night was because Sirius was hundred per cent assured that they wouldn't try anything with the baby due soon.

Even though Harry didn't get the chance to say anything, because he felt too tired to do anything else but barf and try to eat the bit of soup that he kept down, he was grateful for Draco's help. It was nice to know that he could depend on him and that he wouldn't leave him. Although it had made him a bit uncomfortable to know that Draco had requested a week off for him. He had protested weakly, saying he didn't want Snape to get mad at him, but Draco had assured him that Snape wasn't mad, that they were ahead of schedule and that he wasn't planning on not being there when Harry gave birth.

* * *

_18th of February_

Harry waved goodbye to Remus and Sirius who Apparated away as soon as they passed the wards that were raised around the house. They would be staying in Ireland for two days to attend a convention. At first they hadn't wanted to go because Harry was due to deliver any day now, but Draco had assured them he would stay with the dark haired boy in case something happened. When they had still hesitated because they didn't want to miss the birth, Harry had assured them it was okay to go because the baby would probably wait for a few more days.

Harry wanted to turn around and close the door behind him, when the familiar 'pop' of an Apparation made him turn his head again, expecting to see his godfather or Remus again. Instead Draco made his way to him.

"Draco? Why didn't you use the Floo?" Harry asked confused and tilted his head to accept Draco's kiss.

Draco shivered and entered the hallway, pulling off his jacket while Harry locked the door. It was very cold outside and by the looks of the sky, it was highly likely that it would start to snow again.

"Didn't you read the Ministry's letter? They closed off the Floo for today, because they have some problems with it," Draco replied and pulled off his shoes.

"The Ministry sent a letter? When?" Harry frowned and walked, well, more like waddled, to the kitchen, intent on searching through the letter box they kept there.

"Yesterday; I thought you knew?" Draco followed him, grateful for the warmth that hung in the whole house.

"I didn't look at the mail yesterday," Harry replied distracted and he riffled through the various parchments piled up in the box. "Ah, here it is. Sirius must have thrown it there in his hurry to pack everything," he sighed and opened the letter.

Like Draco had stated, there were problems with the Floo and therefore the travel system couldn't be used for a whole day. It would start working again tomorrow at ten a.m.

Harry felt a bit uneasy when he placed the letter back. If the Floo wasn't working, how was he supposed to contact Pomfrey then when his contractions started? He tried to reassure himself that the chances of him giving birth today now were slim. He was a day overdue, but Pomfrey had told him it was likely he would be a few days overdue before he would give birth. Plus what were the chances of him giving birth today when the Floo was disconnected?

Feeling slightly more reassured, he turned around and slid his arms around Draco's neck, smiling when he felt arms sliding around his stomach and one hand slipping underneath his sweater to caress his heavily swollen stomach. There were times where he was insecure about his body, wondering whether his stomach was too big or whether he would ever regain his normal figure back, but he figured he would just have to wait it out. After the baby was born, he could exercise again.

"Mother is very anxious to meet her granddaughter," Draco murmured and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

Harry hummed. "I can't wait until she's born either. I want to see my feet again and not feel like I'm going to topple over from all that weight."

Draco chuckled. "Ah, I think you look beautiful," he whispered and delighted in the flush Harry's cheeks gained.

"Yes, well, you're not the one carrying all this weight," Harry huffed and pouted.

He received another kiss for his pout. "Well, it won't be too long anymore. Unless she's really stubborn like her daddy." Grey eyes sparkled in amusement.

Emerald green eyes narrowed. "I'm not the only stubborn one, you know." He smacked his shoulder.

"No," Draco admitted, "but you are the Gryffindor of us two which makes you the most stubborn."

"Bastard," Harry huffed, triggering another chuckle from his boyfriend.

* * *

Two hours later, Draco placed the two steaming mugs with tea on the coffee table and frowned. It had been ten minutes ago since Harry went upstairs to grab the pillow he insisted he needed to lay comfortably on the couch and he still hadn't returned.

"Harry?" he called from the foot of the stairs.

A muffled sound reached his ears and he grew worried. "Harry, what's wrong?" He quickly walked up the stairs and rounded the corner.

The door to Harry's bedroom was half open and he entered it without knocking.

Harry was standing half bent next to his bed, one hand on his stomach and the other one grabbing one of the bed posts, his grip on it so tight his knuckles had turned white. He was panting and he raised his head when he heard Draco enter. "I think – I think your mother doesn't have to wait long anymore to meet her granddaughter," he smiled weakly. The next moment he grimaced and he spread his legs a bit more, bowing his head again when pain ranked through his body, making him whimper.

"Fuck," Draco muttered and strode over to Harry, pulling one arm around his neck and putting his own around Harry's waist. "Come on then, I'll help you to the delivery room."

The delivery room was two rooms further of Harry's and had been a storage room until a few days ago when Sirius and Remus had turned it into a makeshift delivery room. It had only a bed, a small closet and some towel and a bowl for water. Harry would give birth there and then afterwards would return to his room where the crib was also placed, so that he didn't have to go far during the night to feed his baby. Giving birth in a separate room was easier than cleaning the sheets in his bedroom, or at least that was Sirius' reasoning.

They made it easily to the room and Harry sat down on the bed, rubbing his back. The contractions had stopped for a moment, but he knew they would be returning soon.

"Here, drink this." A vial was handed to him and even though his stomach already revolted against the foul taste, he obediently swallowed it. He grimaced and placed the vial on the floor.

"Eugh, nasty." He shivered. Then he turned his attention to Draco, who was looking at him thoughtfully. "What are we going to do now? Do you think Pomfrey will be here on time?"

"I'm going to send her an owl, but I don't know if it will reach her on time; it has already begun snowing," Draco sighed and raked his hand through his hair. Quickly he went downstairs, grabbed some parchment and a quill and wrote his message, walking to the kitchen to find Sirius' owl sleeping.

"Hey, wake up. I need you to bring this to Poppy Pomfrey, the head nurse of Hogwarts," Draco told the owl and bound the parchment to his leg. He got a very foul look for daring to interrupt the owl's sleep and even fouler glare when the owl noticed how bad the weather was outside, but the owl flew out through the snow.

Sighing and rubbing his neck, Draco gathered all the tools he would need to help Harry deliver the baby. He hoped Pomfrey would be here before the baby arrived, but it was doubtful with how bad the weather was now.

When he arrived back in the room, Harry was lying against a few pillows, his hands placed on his stomach.

"All right, Harry, I sent a message to Pomfrey, but I don't know whether the owl will reach her on time." Draco winced and sat down on the bed, placing a hand on Harry's stomach and felt the skin rippling when another contraction hit his lover.

"What are we going to do when she doesn't arrive on time?" Harry asked nervously and gripped the sheets tightly.

"Well, I've been studying male pregnancies and births since a few months ago," Draco stated slowly and pursed his lips. "And I know what to do to help you deliver the baby. Do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you," Harry smiled and squeezed Draco's hand. "But why didn't you tell me you studied up on it?"

Draco shrugged and rolled up his sleeves. "I hadn't thought it was necessary. I thought Pomfrey would be there to assist you, but obviously this is not the case now."

Harry whimpered and squeezed Draco's hand again, this time from pain.

"Everything will be all right," Draco mumbled and kissed Harry's sweaty forehead. "Alright, I'm going to take your pants off now so that I can check in a while how far you are."

Harry nodded and couldn't help but squirm a bit when he felt cool hands opening his pants and carefully pushing them down. He could feel his face burn in embarrassment when he felt the cool air hitting his bare legs and he shifted on the bed. Obviously he and Draco had never went further than just cuddling and kissing and the only time Draco had touched his bare skin was when he was caressing his stomach. To be half naked suddenly in front of his boyfriend when he was on the verge of giving birth was very embarrassing and uncomfortable.

"Hey, try to relax, all right?" Draco said soothingly and rubbed Harry's knees briefly before he placed his wand next to him and Accio'd the bowl with now warm water in it, together with some towels to clean the baby when she arrived.

Harry nodded weakly and then the waiting started. The contractions began to follow each other up quicker and Draco made sure Harry kept breathing slowly to deal with the pain.

Even though he felt bad for putting Harry through all that pain, his stomach swarmed with butterflies and he felt excited. In less than a few hours he would be holding his baby girl in his arms and would finally see her after nine months. They would be a real family.

"Fuck," Harry swore when a contraction, the pain worse than the one before, ranked through his stomach again. He could feel his baby slowly moving down to his newly formed birth channel and he felt more nervous with each contraction that hit him. It wouldn't be too long anymore before he would need to push and for some reason that made him nervous.

He tried to concentrate on the fact that it wouldn't be too long anymore before he could finally hold their daughter in his arms. The pain would be worth it in the end.

"All right, Harry, it's time to start pushing," Draco announced and sat down on his knees in the middle of the bed, right between Harry's spread legs which were now upraised. "I'm going to count to three and then you can start pushing until I say you can stop. Ready?"

"Not really, but it's not like I have a choice," Harry grimaced and hissed when another wave of pain made him tremble. Oh Merlin, he could feel his baby moving into his birth channel now and the need to push rose up.

"You'll do fine," Draco smiled and took a deep breath. "All right, one, two, three."

At three, Harry started to push, his hands clenching tightly in the bunched up sheets, his muscles all tensed up, his eyes closed. His breath came out in pants and he could feel sweat dripping off his face. His sweater clung to his chest and he felt uncomfortably warm, but he kept pushing.

"All right, you can stop for a minute. Start again when you feel the next contraction," Draco told him calmly.

And so for the next half hour, Harry was pushing like his life depended on it. Inwardly he was asking himself if the baby would ever fit through such a small hole, but he trusted Draco to help him. Slowly, very slowly, his baby dropped lower and lower until Draco announced that he could see her head.

"All right, darling, just a few more pushes and then it's all over," Draco encouraged him. "Just a few more and then we can hold our daughter in our arms."

Harry had started to sob weakly from the pain, but he took a deep breath and with the strength he had left in his fatigued body, he started pushing again.

"Come on, Harry, just a bit more, she's nearly here," Draco encouraged him and then the head popped out. "Just one big push and then she's out." As soon as the small shoulders slid out, he grabbed them carefully and helped Harry to get the baby completely out.

With one last scream, Harry pushed and then suddenly, he felt empty. Empty and sore, but incredibly relieved when he heard a sharp cry resounding in the room.

"Is she all right?" he asked breathlessly and weakly sat up.

Draco looked up after he cut the umbilical cord and checked the baby and washed her. He then wrapped her up in a small blanket and smiled. "She's perfect, Harry. She's completely healthy and just perfect." His smile was blinding when he carefully placed their daughter in Harry's arms who looked at her in wonder. Draco made quick work of removing the afterbirth and cleaning up the now deflated looking Harry before he came to sit next to Harry, sliding an arm around his shoulders and staring down at his daughter.

"Look at her," Harry whispered with a tired but proud smile. "She's perfect." His finger softly caressed her soft red cheek.

Her eyes were shut so they couldn't see her eye colour, but she had curly, blonde hair, and a small button nose with a small mouth.

"I can't believe we made her. She looks like an angel," Harry murmured.

"That she is," Draco agreed and smiled.

"Thank you," Harry murmured and raised his head to kiss him on his lips. When Draco looked at him confused, he elaborated, "For helping me and for giving me her."

"I think I should thank you," Draco said and looked at him tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Once again ignoring the sting of guilt, which he got better at, Draco looked down at his small family. This was perfect. He and Harry were going to marry in the near future and now they had a perfect baby girl.

"I was thinking of naming her Caelyn." Harry peered up at him. "Is that all right with you?"

"Caelyn Malfoy Potter," Draco tried out. He smiled. "It's perfect."

"Welcome to the family, Caelyn," Harry chuckled and bent his head to drop a kiss on her forehead.

Yes, everything was perfect. There was nothing that could separate them anymore. Just how he had always dreamt they would end up.


	15. Chapter 15: Epilogue The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: some angst
> 
> Like the title states, this is the epilogue to the chapter wherein Draco tells the truth. It's set eleven years later and has a rather open ending. I'm contemplating creating a sequel to this particular epilogue, but I want to have a clear outline of it first before I even attempt to write it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 15: Epilogue The Truth**

_11 years later…_

" _Dear daddy_

_Classes are amazing! It's so cool to finally learn magic for real! The students here are nice too, though I get the feeling that the ones of Gryffindor don't really like us. But you warned me about that, so I guess I should have expected that._

_Anyway, I'm really enjoying the lessons. The teachers are all very nice, though Professor McGonagall is very stern and Binns is so boring! I have to try really hard to stay awake during his lessons, but I'm not the only one who has that problem. In a few weeks we are going to learn how to fly too! Although it won't be that difficult for me, because you taught me that already!_

_I have made two friends already: Stephanie and Leo. Stephanie is a bit of a know it all, but she's very sweet and friendly. Leo is a bit lazy though; Stephanie and I wonder how he always completes his homework on time._

_The lessons are going well too, though I like Potions the most. Professor Malfoy says I have a knack for potions and that if I keep my studying up and keep doing my best in his lessons, it won't be hard for me to be the best of his class. He even says I'm better than some fifth years, can you believe that, daddy? I, a first year, am better than some fifth years!_

_Anyway, I have to go back to my homework. I see you at the parents' meeting, daddy._

_I love you, daddy! Say hi to Uncle Remmy and Siri from me!_

_Love_

_Caelyn_

_P.S. I wrote another letter for papa; will you send it to him?"_

The letter was placed back on the table and a flyer with the seal of Hogwarts was picked up.

" _Dear Mister Potter_

_The staff would like to invite you for a meeting with the teachers to talk about the progress of your daughter. For a few years already we do this every semester and it has taught us that parents like to be involved with their child's education. Therefore we would like to invite you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to talk about your child's progress with the teachers and the Head of the House, on Friday 25th of October at five p.m. We hope to see you there._

_Sincerely_

_Albus Dumbledore_

_H_ _eadmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry"_

The flyer was placed next to the letter and Harry sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. It was Wednesday now, two days before the teacher meeting. Of course he would attend, but he would have to talk to _him_. He had no choice and couldn't even avoid him, because he was his daughter's Head of her house. With his luck, of course Snape would have resigned before his daughter arrived at Hogwarts and in his place he was instigated as the new Head of Slytherin.

"A letter from Caelyn?" Remus' voice broke through his thoughts and he looked up from the kitchen table.

He nodded and smiled faintly. "Yeah, she says she's enjoying her lessons."

Remus picked up the letter and his amber coloured eyes flit over the text, his eyebrow raising when he reached a particular part in the letter. "It seems she hasn't inherited your talent for Potions," he murmured and placed the letter back.

"No, it seems not," Harry agreed.

Remus took a seat right across from him. "Apparently she likes him," he continued carefully. "Have you told her …"

"No, I haven't," Harry interjected with a grimace. He was reminded of the moment when Caelyn was seven years old and she had come home sad from the wizard kindergarten. When Harry had asked why she was sad, she had asked him why all her friends had two parents while she only had one. It had taken everything in Harry to not cry when she had asked him that particular question. He had expected she would one day ask him that, but he hadn't been prepared for it when the moment was there. After some thinking, he had told her that her papa was far away and that he wouldn't come home for a long, long time, but that her papa loved them both very dearly and that someday he would be back home. Caelyn had been confused at first as to why her papa wouldn't be home for a very long time, but was assured when she heard that her papa loved her. Then she had started a tradition that was still going on even to this day and that made Harry's heart clench every time.

" _ **So papa really loves me?" Caelyn asked and her big, emerald green eyes looked hopeful.**_

" _ **Yes, sweetie, your papa really loves you," Harry replied with a lump in his throat and hugged his daughter.**_

_**She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can you send letters to papa?" she suddenly asked.** _

_**He stared at her bemused. "Why do you ask …"** _

"' _ **Cause if you can, can I write letters to papa? So that he won't be lonely when he's away?"**_

_**Her earnest face made it very hard for Harry to not collapse and tear up. "Of course you can, darling. I'm sure your papa will be really happy to read your letters," he said softly after he was certain his voice wouldn't crack.** _

_**She beamed happily and rushed off to her room to start writing her first letter. The next day she had given it to Harry, folded up with a drawing of a kiss on it.** _

_**Harry had never sent the letters. Every letter that she wrote, was kept in a special box in his nightstand, locked with heavy spells. He felt like a bastard for doing that to his daughter and for lying to her, but he couldn't sent those letters. It hurt him every time to see his daughter writing a letter to her papa, but he didn't want to discourage her. He couldn't bring himself to destroy the letters so he kept them safe; not wanting to send them but not wanting to destroy them either.** _

"Don't you think she's going to notice the similarities eventually? What if he tells her?" Remus asked softly.

Harry pursed his lips and looked out of the window. "He won't do that. That's the only thing I trust about him," he said bitterly.

"Don't you think she deserves to know who her father is?"

"And what if she asks why we're not together anymore?" Harry turned towards him angrily. "What do I have to tell her then? That she's the product of a rape? That I can't even remember having sex with her father? That he lied to me for months? I don't want her to think that she wasn't welcome. The way she was conceived was horrible, but I'm still grateful that I have her. She doesn't need to know what happened between her father and I."

Remus sighed and rubbed his neck. "You know that I'm on your side, cub. I will never forgive him for what he has done to you, but there will come a day when Caelyn wants to know why her father doesn't ever come home. And eventually she will notice how much she looks like him. What are you going to do then?"

Harry looked down and kept silent.

A chair was pushed backwards and footsteps halted next to him before a hand squeezed his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Just think about it, okay? I don't want either of you two to get hurt," Remus whispered before he left the kitchen.

Harry clenched his fists and bit his lip. He knew that that day would come. He couldn't keep telling her that her father still wasn't home. He realized she deserved the truth, but … He wasn't really ready to tell her about it. If he told her, her father was her head of the house, she would want to get to know him. She would want to spend time with him and she would wonder why they weren't together anymore. Was it horrible of him to keep her father's identity a secret? Was it horrible that he was afraid of her knowing who her father was?

Narcissa had brought up the topic a few years ago, asking him softly what he would do when Caelyn wanted to meet her father. He hadn't been able to give her an answer back then, and he couldn't do it now either.

It had been hard to raise her on his own. Of course he had had the help of Sirius and Remus, but he didn't want to keep relying on them. There were times when he was so tired of it all, of doing it all alone and knowing it was his own fault that he was doing it alone, that he did nothing but cry at night when Caelyn was finally asleep. The first few years of Caelyn's life had been the hardest of them all. Her first word, her first step, her first laugh, her first crawl … It pained him that Draco hadn't been there to experience those things with him, but he had made his choice. He still loved him even to this day. He had tried to stop loving him, to start hating him …

Merlin knew how hard he had tried, but he had never been successful. Draco had betrayed his trust, had hurt him deeply, but for some reason he couldn't let go of him completely. Even until this day he was still mourning the loss of their relationship. Their life could have been beautiful, but fate had other plans for them. Harry still cursed himself out for casting that spell in the first place. He still wished he had never done it. Living in ignorance had been better than knowing the truth.

But he had a daughter to take care of and so he had pulled himself together, even though it had been hard. He had raised his daughter as well as he could, always trying to be the perfect parent for her. If he couldn't give her two parents, he wanted to make sure she was at least happy with him alone. When she was old enough to go to the wizard kindergarten, he had started to study to be a Mediwizard and two years later, when Caelyn had been six, he had gotten his degree and had started to work in Saint Mungos. His head of the department had been nice enough to give him hours that were the same as Caelyn's kindergarten so that he could be there to pick her up when she was done with school. When she was older, Harry had taken on more hours, but still was home at seven p.m. the latest.

He had tried to date other men, but he had quickly given up on that when he realized that his heart was never completely into it. Well that, and not many men were eager to date a young man with a daughter.

And then came the moment that Caelyn got her letter for Hogwarts. Harry's heart had bled when he had waved her out on the first school day, but he rationally knew they could still exchange letters and they would be seeing each other again during the Christmas holidays and now during the parents' conference too. She was sorted into Slytherin and had therefore surprised everyone who had expected her to land in Gryffindor due to who her dad was.  
But Harry knew there was a high chance she would be in Slytherin. Not only had she shown early on how cunning she could be if she wanted to, she had a Slytherin father and he himself had almost been sorted into Slytherin. Of course he had reassured her in his first letter that he was proud of her and that it didn't matter in which house she was. It really didn't. For all he cared she could have ended up in Hufflepuff. As long as she was happy, he was happy.

He had nearly fainted from shock when he had received the second letter of Caelyn, in which she gushed over Potions and how nice her new Head of the House was. Her new Head of the House who was Draco Malfoy. Who also had taken over Potions from Snape.

He hadn't known how to feel about that little fact. His daughter and her father were in the same school and she didn't know it. Harry didn't doubt one second that Draco knew who Caelyn was. If her last name wasn't enough, then her blond hair and sharp cheekbones were enough to make him recognize her even though he had never seen her before.

He had felt sick the whole day after getting her letter. He had been afraid that Draco would tell Caelyn who he was to her, but so far her letters didn't indicate that that had happened, for which Harry was grateful for. He still didn't know how he should tell Caelyn that her father was her own Head of the House.

"Merlin, this is so fucked up," he whispered and stared blankly at the letter.

He didn't feel ready to meet Draco again after eleven years, but he didn't have a choice. He just had to make the meeting with him as short as possible and then he could go back home again, pretending that nothing had really happened.

* * *

_25th of October_

"Have a nice evening further, Mister Lewton," Draco smiled politely and shook the stern looking man the hand before he left.

With a groan, Draco collapsed in his chair behind his desk. God, he loathed these evenings. Most parents didn't cause trouble and didn't argue about their children's school results, but there were always those who refused to believe their child was anything but incredibly intelligent and waved every concern about certain courses away.

With a sigh, Draco picked up the list to check who he would talk to next. He almost chocked on his own spit when he noticed the next name: Harry Potter.

He stared faintly at the list. Of course; how could he have forgotten that? He was going to meet Harry again after so many years. His eyes started to water a bit.

As soon as he had heard the words 'Caelyn Potter' spoken out loud during the Sorting ceremony he had been in shock. There she was finally, in front of him. His daughter Caelyn. She had skipped towards the Hat and after a brief moment, the Hat had declared her a student of Slytherin, shocking the whole hall and teachers. His daughter was sorted into his House.

During dinner he had studied her as inconspicuously as he could. Her long, blonde hair, that was the perfect copy of his, was slightly curly and reached the middle of her back. She had a slim nose, full lips and big, emerald green eyes that glittered in excitement. She had a slim figure and moved around with a grace that she had to have inherited from her grandmother Narcissa.

She was the perfect mix of them both. She was as shy as Harry, but warmed up to others quickly and was always willing to help others in need. However, when she thought someone had been unfair to her or her friends, she clearly showed why she had been sorted into Slytherin.

She was smart, did well in all her lessons and even excelled in Potions for which Draco was very happy.

However, she didn't know who he was. All she knew was that he was her Head of the house and the Potions' professor. He had been tempted to tell her who he really was, to see how she would react to him being her father. As far as he could gather from his mother's tales, Harry had never told her who he was, only that he was far away from home. His mother had been his only source of information about his daughter and ex-lover. He felt like a masochist for listening to her stories whenever she came back from a visit to Harry, but he couldn't stop himself. He needed every tad bit of information he could get over his family, like a starving man needed food.

He had pondered many nights whether he should tell Caelyn the truth, but quickly realized that in doing so, he would lose any tiny chance he could still have with Harry. He suspected Harry wouldn't appreciate it at all if he told Caelyn he was her father, so he kept quiet, even though it hurt him to see her in his class and in the dorms, knowing that he could never show her how much he loved her, because she didn't know the truth. And that hurt him. A lot.

He still cursed himself every day for lying to Harry like that and hurting him. If he could have, he would have gone back in time and changed everything. Well, that wasn't exactly true. He didn't regret having his daughter. She was the living proof of them two together and he would never regret that. He only regretted the way she was conceived.

A knock on his door startled him and his head shot up, his heart started to beat wildly. "Yes, please, come in."

The door went slowly open and in stepped the man who until this day still hold a tight grip on his heart and who would be the only one he would ever love for as long as he lived.

"Good evening," Draco managed to produce without stammering. Harry still looked the same as he remembered. Still the same shaggy, black hair; still the same brilliant, emerald green eyes that regarded him warily; still the same slender built. It seemed like not a day had passed since they last saw each other.

"Good evening, Professor Malfoy," Harry greeted back coolly and stiffly accepted the hand that Draco had offered without thinking.

They both took a seat.

"Well, there's not much I can say about Caelyn," Draco began, trying to be as professional as possible. He couldn't fuck this up now. This was the first time in eleven years that they had talked – he didn't want to screw up now. "She's a brilliant student, exceeds in Potions and is on her way to become first in Defence against the Dark Arts too. She hasn't landed in any trouble to my knowledge; she's made quite a few friends already … There's comes nothing to my mind that I think she can improve on."

"That's good to hear," Harry murmured and accepted the sheet of paper on which the temporarily marks were written down, based on the essays and performance in class. "She mentioned that she liked Potions in her letters."

"Really?" Draco asked surprised and managed to hide a satisfied smile. So she did inherit more than some of his looks alone then.

For a short moment that at the same time seemed agonizing long, Harry focused his attention on the paper, trying to ignore the stare he was subjected to from the man he hadn't seen in eleven years.

"You raised her well," Draco broke the silence nervously and he hold his breath when he saw Harry's shoulders stiffen.

"Thanks," the black haired man replied after a short, awkward silence. "Did you, did you ever tell her …"

"That she's my daughter?" Draco smiled humourlessly while Harry tensed up further. "No, I didn't tell her. I figured you wouldn't want that. Does she know …"

"I told Caelyn her father was away from home for a long time," Harry interrupted him brusquely. His hands clenched around the paper and made it wrinkle.

"So there's no one she calls her father now?" Draco blurted out and then could smack himself for asking that. It wasn't his business whether Harry had found someone else or not. Harry had clearly stated they were done, but somewhere, deep in his heart, he had hoped Harry wouldn't find anyone else. It was horrible to hope that, after all, he did want to see Harry happy, but it was so hard to imagine that someone else would be able to make Harry happy while he couldn't. He had never asked his mother if she knew anything and she didn't say anything about that subject.

"No, there isn't," Harry replied brusquely and then stood up again, placing the paper back on the desk. "Now if you don't have anything else to say about her marks or her education in general, then I'm leaving. I promised her I would visit her before I went home." With that said, he quickly made his way to the door.

"Wait!" Draco shot up from his chair, a sudden burst of hope and courage flaring up in him. To his shock, Harry actually stopped and turned to look at him with a frown on his face. "Can we – can we come together to-to talk?"

Harry's mouth tightened and he looked conflicted.

"Just to talk, I swear," Draco hastened to say, looking hopefully. "I-I just want to talk, please, Harry?"

It was silent for a long time. It got to the point where Draco just wanted to give up and say he could leave, feeling the claws of a depressive mood reaching up to him. What had he been thinking? That Harry wanted to talk with him? After what he had done to him? He couldn't believe he was such an idiot.

"I'm free tomorrow at three thirty. You can meet me in that little pub next to Olivander's in Diagon Alley." Harry's soft voice suddenly sounded and before he could say anything in response, the dark haired man left silently, closing the door softly behind him.

A smile began to tremble on his mouth. Harry wanted to talk to him. They would meet up tomorrow.

He understood what kind of sign this was - Harry was willing to give him the chance to talk and depending on how their conversation went, maybe he would even agree to meet up again. Hope flared up in his chest.

Maybe they would still get their happy ending. He only had to work hard for it. And that was something that was worth fighting for.


	16. Chapter 16: First Epilogue The Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: some angst, some fluff and a small lemon
> 
> This is the first epilogue of the chapter wherein Draco told the lie. Meaning that the next chapter (and the last one of this story) is the second epilogue of the Lie chapter, but that one is completely different from this epilogue. If you read both of them, you'll see what I mean ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 16: First Epilogue The Lie**

_5 years later…_

 “All right, pack everything up and deliver me your sample of the potion,” Draco announced and the students suddenly rushed to pack everything up and pour their potion in a vial. “Don’t forget the essay that’s due this Tuesday!” he said warningly and he heard some of the students groan. He smirked and already knew some of those essays would be coloured red when he marked them.

One year ago, he had finally gained Severus’ permission to start teaching a class. His master in Potions would be completed in three years, but Severus had already given him the first four years to teach so that he could gain some experience. Draco himself suspected his godfather had given him this position so easily, because he wouldn’t have to deal with that many students then.

Slowly the troop of students swarmed out of the classroom, chattering excitedly about the upcoming weekend. It was nearly Christmas and the students were allowed this weekend to go to Hogsmade to shop for presents.

Draco had already ordered the presents for his family and friends, so he didn’t feel the panicked rush that so many people were experiencing now because they had postponed their shopping. Leisurely he packed his bag and after making sure everything was put into place, he walked out of the classroom and closed it off.

This had been his last lesson for today, so he could finally go home. He made his way to the stairs so that he could use the Floo in his office which was on the third floor. On the way there he was greeted by several students and some of the faculty, everyone wishing him a good weekend.

Some teachers made him stop for a few minutes to talk to him about Harry and their children, but let him go quickly with a chuckle, once they realized he was eager to return home.

After half an hour he finally made it into his office and he sighed relieved, rolling his shoulders to get rid of the kink that had appeared during the afternoon.

His eyes caught a picture frame standing on his desk and a tender smile appeared on his face. It was a photo of him, Harry and their daughter Caelyn, taking two years ago. Their three year old daughter was sitting on Harry’s lap, clapping in her tiny hands and laughing excitedly while Draco was sitting next to Harry; the photo showing them sharing a sweet kiss.

Four years ago, they had gotten married in May. They had spent a week in the cottage in the Cote d’Azur for their honeymoon while Caelyn had been taken care of by her grandmother and uncles.

Two months later, the newlywed couple had found a house, a village further than where Black and Lupin lived. It hadn’t taken long for them to decide to buy it after they had fallen in love with the design of the house and the big garden. The house wasn’t small nor as big as the Malfoy manor; it was just perfect for their family.

While Draco had been studying and later on working as professor, Harry had decided to stay at home to take care of their daughter. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to work, he just didn’t want to be separated from their daughter so soon. Although he had decided he would start studying to be a Mediwizard in a couple of years, but for now he was content to stay at home and take care of the house and their daughter.

Draco’s smile faded a bit and his eyes gained a darker tint when another memory surfaced. It had been the day after their first night as married couple (and like the tradition had wanted it, they had waited with making love until their wedding night, though that had more to do with taking things slowly after certain events than really following tradition) and Harry had been dozing in his arms, while he listened to the gentle waves of the ocean. Their wedding night had been beautiful, romantic, perfect like expected. Draco had taken the time to make sure Harry was fully relaxed before he had gone further and in the end they had enjoyed themselves immensely. They had both fallen asleep with a smile on their faces and being encased in each other’s arms.

When Draco had woken up hours later with Harry still in his arms, he had done nothing but stare at his husband. The guilt of his betrayal had never subsided; it was always there in the back of his mind, slowly burning, ready to attack him whenever he lowered his guard. For most of the time he managed to ignore the sting, instead concentrating on the happiness he felt now at having his own little family, like he had dreamt of for so long.

That didn’t mean he hadn’t thought of confessing to Harry various times. During the preparations of their wedding he had thought of confessing and the day after their wedding night, the urge to confess was there again. Maybe if he explained it all thoroughly, maybe then Harry wouldn’t leave him and would stay with him. Maybe their marriage would be enough for Harry to give him a chance. He had to, right? They were now a family; they had a one year old daughter – Harry wouldn’t throw that away without giving him the chance to explain, surely?

He had raised his hand and had started softly shaking Harry’s shoulder, intent on finally telling his spouse the truth. He had gathered all his courage, but when those beautiful, emerald green eyes finally opened and sleepily blinked and looked at him softly, his courage had left him. The fear of losing the one he loved the most had clamped up his throat and when Harry had asked with a sleepy smile what was wrong, he had only been able to kiss him on his lips and whisper that he loved him.

Now four years later, their daughter was five and Harry still didn’t know the truth. After that last attempt the day after their wedding night, Draco had never attempted again to confess. The risk of losing his family wasn’t worth telling the truth. In an attempt to at least lessen the sting of the guilt, he had set himself on making Harry and Caelyn as happy as possible. He knew he didn’t deserve them after the lying he did, but he loved them too much to give them up.

With a sigh, he grabbed some Floo powder and threw it in the fireplace, shouting his destination before he was engulfed in the bright green flames.

He landed in a cosy living room. He had just enough time to place his bag on the ground before he was tackled by a blonde blur who attached herself to his legs.

“Papa, papa! You’re home!” Caelyn giggled and threw her arms up, indicating she wanted to be held.

Draco obeyed the silent demand and settled her on his hip, giving her a kiss on her cheek. “Hey there, princess. Have you been a good girl today?”

“Yes, I’m a good girl!” she told him proudly with a big grin. “I help daddy with dinner.”

“You helped daddy making dinner? You’re such a big girl already,” Draco praised her and if possible, her grin got wider and she hugged him tightly around his neck. “All right, princess, let me greet your daddy and the baby.”

She nodded and when he placed her back on the ground, she toddled over to her small table that was placed in her play corner, where she proceeded to colour in the unicorn with yellow and blue.

“Good evening, Draco.”

Draco turned around and smiled when he saw his husband leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed loosely above his protruding stomach, his smile tender and his eyes showing the love he held for the blond.

Draco crossed the living room and embraced the dark haired man, kissing him on his lips before he slid his lips across Harry’s soft cheek to his ear to whisper, “I missed you today.”

“I missed you too,” Harry chuckled and laid his arms around Draco’s neck, sighing in pleasure when strong hands started to massage his lower back.

He was five and a half months pregnant with their second child now. They had decided it was time for a second one, both wanting to have more than one child. Draco had prepared the pregnancy potion (again ignoring the stab of guilt during the whole brewing process) and it hadn’t taken long before Pomfrey could announce they would be parents again. They had waited until Harry was three months far before they had told their families of the news. Narcissa had been overjoyed at hearing she would get a second grandchild, Severus had paled at the thought there would be another Potter running around soon, causing havoc and Black and Lupin had been happy to hear that they would be uncles again.

Pansy and Blaise had been happy as well; they got married three years ago after Blaise had finally popped the question to a very impatient Pansy and were currently nursing a three month year old boy, named Lucas.

Luna, Harry’s friend, had sent them a baby blanket, even before they had broken the news to her and Draco had been disturbed by this; not even Harry’s reassurance that Luna saw things that nobody else could had been able to remove the disturbed feeling.

George had already promised he would give safe baby toys as a present.

Caelyn had been wary at first when they told her she would be getting a baby brother or sister and hadn’t understood how a baby could fit in her daddy’s stomach and why it was still so small. They had explained to her that the baby had gotten in her daddy’s stomach, because their parents loved each other so much, magic had given them a new baby. Only the baby had to stay another few months in daddy’s stomach to be healthy and to grow more. Caelyn had pursed her lips after that explanation and had regarded them with slightly narrowed eyes, before she announced that she would be picking out the new name for her baby brother or sister.

Both Harry and Draco had been relieved she didn’t seem to have problems with it and had agreed she could pick out the name.

Caelyn had even developed a small routine; every morning and evening she would talk a bit to the baby and wouldn’t go to sleep before she had done her talking and had felt the baby kick (that was a new fascination for her; feeling her sibling kick against her small hand while she couldn’t see the baby). Her parents found that routine endearing and watched how she animatedly told her unborn sibling what they would do together when the baby was older.

Draco sunk down on his knees and slid his hands underneath Harry’s sweater, baring his stomach. He put his mouth against the smooth skin and murmured, “I hope you have been good to your daddy today. Can’t have him tired, because of your kicking, now can we? Also if you could be a good baby and lie in a good position tomorrow so that we can see what you are, there could be extra presents for you.”

Harry’s body shook a bit with his laughter. “What do you expect from a Potter-Malfoy baby, but stubbornness?” He winked.

Grey eyes rolled. “Even so, it would be nice to find out whether we’re getting a girl or a boy.”

“Hm, according to Luna, we’re getting a boy,” Harry murmured when Draco came back up. The blond followed him to the kitchen where a unicorn doll wearing a blue sweater was perched on the kitchen table. “That’s her present for the baby,” Harry replied when he encountered Draco’s questioning glance.

“A boy, huh?” Draco mumbled and picked up the stuffed toy before placing it back down and slipping his arms around Harry’s waist from behind, pressing his chest against Harry’s back. “It would be nice to have a son. We already have a daughter, so a son would be nice. Though I wouldn’t complain if it’s a girl again either.”

“Well, hopefully we’ll find out tomorrow for sure, though I don’t think we should doubt Luna,” Harry smiled and softly squeezed the arms wrapped around his waist.

“Papa, daddy, look at what I make!” Caelyn came running into the kitchen, waving around her paper with the coloured unicorn.

They both turned around with a smile and praised her colouring.

* * *

 “Hm, ungh, right there,” the younger man moaned and threw his head back, his hands clenched around the older one’s upper thighs, using it as leverage to push himself up and back down, feeling the hard member of his husband burning in his channel and pressing harshly against his sweet spot every time he pushed back down, electing soft moans and sighs from the dark haired pregnant man.

“God, you’re perfect,” Draco breathed and one of his hands came to rest on a slender hip, slick with sweat, while the other caressed the bulging stomach. He sat up and reclined back against the pillows and Harry’s breath hitched when Draco’s cock in him went deeper; feeling those strong legs behind him coming up. Losing his grip on those pale upper thighs, he changed his position to leaning over Draco’s chest, one hand clenching in the pillow besides the blond head, while the other gripped his shoulder as leverage.

“Ugh, almost – almost there,” Harry panted and groaned throatily when a hot, wet mouth started sucking his nipple. A whimper was torn from his mouth when Draco increased the speed, his hips coming up from the bed to press deeper and harder in the body atop of him and both knew they were almost at their limit.

Through half lidded eyes, Draco watched how his lover threw his head back and loudly moaned his name (making him grateful they had soundproofed their room a long time ago) when he climaxed, his whole body trembling with the force of it. Not long afterwards, Draco couldn’t hold himself back anymore and groaning Harry’s name, he came in his lover, his hips weakly pumping throughout his climax.

When they were done, Harry lifted himself up gingerly with a slight grimace and laid down next to him, both their chests heaving up and down, exhausted.

“Are you okay?” Draco breathed and turned his head to kiss Harry’s cheek, that felt hot to the touch.

“Hmm.” Harry turned to lay down on his side, throwing one leg over Draco’s. “I’m fine, exhausted, but fine,” he smiled and dropped a kiss on Draco’s lips. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Draco whispered and a few minutes later sleep claimed Harry. Draco however was still awake.

Absentmindedly, he started caressing Harry’s stomach, after tugging the sheets back over their bodies before they caught a cold.

As if hearing his promise, their baby had indeed laid in such a position where its gender could be checked. It turned out they would be getting a son. Caelyn had been beside herself when she got to hear she would have a baby brother and Draco himself was proud too. It had been his dream to have at least one daughter and one son and he was happy that dream would be realized.

Shifting a bit, Draco grimaced a bit when he felt their cum drying and sticking to their skin. If he wasn’t so lazy, he would grab his wand and spell the mess away, but as it was, he didn’t want to move too much.

He would never admit it out loud, but he cherished the moments after their love making the most. It felt amazing to hold Harry in his arms and to know that Harry trusted him enough to give his body to him. He could still remember how nervous both of them had been during their wedding night. Even though Harry had known he had shared his bed with Draco before, he still couldn’t remember anything, so he had been as nervous as a virgin during that night. Which Draco didn’t mind to be honest. He had taken that chance to worship Harry like he should have been worshipped that faithful night and had taken his sweet time to lavish his husband with his attention.

Harry had been shy at first in bed, giving the control to Draco, preferring to be seduced instead of the one doing the seducing, but after a while he had grown bolder and had taken to seduce Draco whenever he was in the mood, which the latter could only encourage. After a few months, he had also gotten more vocal in bed, which Draco was both pleased and grateful about, because at least then he was certain that Harry enjoyed their coupling as much as he did.

Because that was one of his fears; that Harry wouldn’t enjoy their love making or in the worst case would feel forced, which Draco wanted to avoid at all costs. Harry had complained sometimes that Draco prolonged the foreplay too much and that at times Harry didn’t mind if it got a bit rough, but Draco had made a silent vow to never hurt Harry again and that included physical hurt too. He rather prolonged the foreplay a bit than hurt his lover because he was too hasty.

Draco sighed and closed his eyes, pressing his lips against Harry’s forehead. “I love you so much. I’m really sorry for hurting you all those years ago.” That last part was murmured almost inaudibly, not wanting to risk Harry waking up and hearing it.

Curling his body around Harry’s and embracing him tightly, Draco finally let sleep claim him too.

Everything had turned out all right after all.


	17. Chapter 17: Second Epilogue The Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a lemon; Draco taking a drastic measure
> 
> Like mentioned in the previous chapter, this is the second epilogue to the Lie chapter. This one takes place a year after chapter 14. 
> 
> Also with this chapter, this story is complete ^^ I hope you liked it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

**Chapter 17: Second Epilogue The Lie**

_One year later, 20 th of February…_

“I was thinking that we could hold the wedding in May.” Draco peered up from his Potions handbook that Severus had lent to him. He smiled at the scene he was greeted with. Harry was sitting with crossed legs on his bed with Caelyn, who had just turned one two days ago, lying in front of him, giggling while her daddy was tickling her tummy.

On Harry’s birthday they had decided that they would start the preparations for their marriage, that would take place the year after that. Harry and he were already engaged since Christmas, but they never had officially decided to start preparations for the marriage. Now all they needed, aside from making a list with people they would like to invite, was a date for their marriage to take place.

Harry hummed and chuckled when their daughter made a grab for his hand and got hold of one of his fingers, stopping his tickling attack. She released a satisfied sigh and smiled impishly before starting to mutter something in her own language.

“That sounds good to me. Did you have any particular date in mind?” he asked and turned around to face his blond fiancé, though he kept most of his attention on Caelyn.

Draco cocked his head to the left and his fingers started to tap softly on his desk. “Hm, what do you think of holding it somewhere in the middle of May? At least then the weather should be good.”

“We should hold it in the weekend then so that everyone can come,” Harry replied and bit his lip. He furrowed his eyebrows in thought and then looked at the calendar, hanging on the opposite wall. He grabbed his wand and waved it softly, flipping the pages of the calendar until he arrived at May. “What do you think of the fifteenth? That’s a Saturday. Do you think everyone will be able to attend then?”

“It would surprise me if they couldn’t make it,” Draco replied and wrote the date down on a piece of paper. “At least now mother will stop asking about the date.”

Green eyes twinkled in mirth. “Can’t blame her for being so excited about her son’s marriage.”

Grey eyes rolled. “That may be, but I could do with less questions.”

“Ah yes, Sirius and Remus have agreed to watch over Caelyn during the honeymoon,” Harry mentioned casually, though his hands shook a bit when he grabbed Caelyn and put her on his lap. She made a smacking sound with her lips and her eyes started to flutter, signalling she was on the verge of falling asleep.

Draco took notice of his trembling hands, but didn’t say anything of it. Harry hadn’t said anything to him about it, but he had a suspicion Harry was very nervous about their honeymoon. Not about the part where they would stay or for how long, but because of what would happen then. Even though Caelyn was one years old already and their relationship had gotten even stronger throughout the months following her birth, they hadn’t gone further than the occasional groping underneath their shirts. The first half year after Caelyn was born, they were both too worn out to take their relationship any further. They were already glad when they could lay down for a bit and cuddle while Caelyn was sleeping, that it hadn’t even crossed their minds to attempt to do something more. And though Caelyn being there was obvious proof they had already taken their relationship to the highest level, Harry still couldn’t remember anything from it, which actually made the whole thing more awkward to talk about.

Draco had thrown hints at Harry that he would like to keep the tradition of making love during the wedding night, as long as Harry was ready for it. Harry hadn’t rebuked him whenever he hinted at doing more during that night, but he hadn’t confirmed anything either. Draco knew it was high time they talked about it, because they couldn’t keep ignoring it until their wedding day arrived. But he didn’t want to make Harry uncomfortable either. Plus when Caelyn wasn’t sleeping she was either with Harry or Draco, or both of them were near their family, which made talking about it very awkward.

“Not a surprise there; she has them wrapped around her little finger already,” Draco smirked and stood up, walking over to his bed. He sat down next to Harry and slid his arm around his waist, rubbing Harry’s right side absentmindedly. He gave him a kiss in his neck and felt Harry’s breath hitch, making him smile. “Mother mentioned something about visiting her during that week too.”

“Seems like she doesn’t trust them alone with Caelyn,” Harry chuckled amused.

“Well, she trusts Lupin, but I don’t think she finds Black a good influence on her.” The blond smirked. “Let’s be honest here; out of the two, Lupin is the more mature one.”

Harry smiled faintly and looked down at their baby girl, who had fallen asleep. “Can’t argue with that.” He held her carefully against his chest and stood up. “I’m going to lay her down in her crib so that she can sleep,” he announced and exited the room, to enter the room next to Draco’s which they had transformed temporarily into a nursery until they had found a house of their own.

Draco’s smile slid off his face the moment Harry left the room. With each day that passed, he became acutely aware of the pensive look his godfather threw him, every time he thought Draco was too preoccupied with something to notice his staring. Severus had never really commented when they had told them the explanation of why Caelyn was his daughter, but he had given Draco a hard stare, as if he knew or at least suspected something.

And that was dangerous. Severus had been a double spy; someone who had managed to fool Voldemort himself. He also had known Draco since he was born, so he could read most of his facial expressions and pick up things that Draco hadn’t even voiced out loud.

If Severus suspected something was amiss, it would have dire consequences. As long as he didn’t start interrogating him in that casual way of his, when the victim only realized in the end he was being interrogated, and didn’t show any other sign of being suspicious, Draco was fairly safe.

But what if Severus indeed suspected something? What if he somehow found out what he had really done? The young man didn’t even want to imagine what would happen then.

He had to find a way to make sure nobody would ever discover the truth. Destroying his notes wasn’t enough, he had to go deeper and remove all traces of his deceive.

What he needed was …

“Draco?” Harry’s voice startled him and his head shot up. Harry was standing in front of him, looking at him worriedly.

Immediately he plastered a smile on his face and drew Harry to him. “Sorry, all that studying has made me a bit drowsy.”

Harry clucked his tongue. “I told you, you should take more breaks. You’re just asking to collapse one of these days.”

He let out a high squeak of surprise when Draco spun him around and hooked one of his feet behind his legs to trip him. He landed on his back on the bed and blinked when Draco crawled on top of him with a predatory smile on his face.

“Good thing I have you to remind me of my much needed breaks then, hm?” he purred and his lips covered Harry’s before the younger man could form a retort.

They kissed leisurely for a moment before Harry broke off the kiss and pulled his head back a bit, pressing against the soft matrass.

Draco looked at him questioningly, his hands resting on both sides of Harry’s head.

Harry clasped his arms around Draco’s neck and took a deep breath, licked his lips and gathered enough courage to mutter, “I think I want to try to go further when we are married.”

“You mean you want to …”

Harry nodded and felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, his emerald green eyes sliding away from the captivating, grey ones above him.

Draco smiled tenderly. “As long as you’re ready for it. I’ll make it a night you won’t forget.” He sealed that promise with a sweet kiss.

* * *

They couldn’t have chosen a better day to hold their wedding. It was a beautiful, sunny day and everyone who had been invited, had shown up, eager to see the couple finally marrying. Pansy acted as the witness for Draco and for Harry, surprisingly enough, it was Luna. The ceremony was led by someone of the Ministry.

Harry wore a white cape and an ocean blue shirt with black pants and a white tie. Draco was his opposite in that aspect with a black cape and an emerald green shirt with a black tie and black pants.

Their daughter was dressed in an aqua blue summer dress, a little cap protecting her head against the sun. Her Uncle Remus was holding her while they looked how the two young men were being tied together for life.

The ceremony had been put together by Narcissa and Pansy. They hadn’t given the young couple the chance to organize it themselves; they only had reassured them they would love it. And that was indeed the case. Contrarily to previous Malfoy marriages, this one wasn’t as grand as the ones of Draco’s ancestors. It didn’t need to be. Both were content with a small ceremony and a small party afterwards where only their close friends and family were present. The press was notified of their marriage, but were forbidden to be present at the wedding; both young men wanting their wedding day to be peaceful and not broadcasted for a whole nation.

After their first traditional dance as newlywed couple, Draco danced with his mother, Pansy and even Luna, while Harry also had the opportunity to dance with Narcissa (though he felt a bit flustered by it), Luna and Pansy. Luna had taken their dance as an opportunity to tell him everything would be alright.

Reassured by Luna’s words, Harry felt a bit more confident about leaving his daughter alone for the first time since she was born. They said their goodbyes when ten o’clock neared and made their way to the Portkey, that was waiting for them, just outside.

Their bags were already sent to the vacation house they would be staying in for a week.

Coincidence or not, they landed right in the middle of the large master bedroom. And this was where Harry’s nerves played up again.

The Portkey, a silver watch, was placed on a small table, standing against the wall. The ‘thick’ of the metal making contact with the wood was loud in the otherwise silent room.

Harry looked apprehensively at the large bed. Butterflies were swarming in his stomach and he wringed his hands together, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

This was it then. He would finally sleep with Draco for real. He swallowed and rubbed his hands over his thighs. He wanted it, but at the same time he wanted to ask Draco whether they could just sleep for tonight and try it later. He knew they had had done it already; Caelyn was proof of that. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember anything of it. What if it turned out he sucked at it? Or that he was so horrible that Draco wouldn’t like it? What if he did something wrong and he completely screwed it up and …

He nearly jumped three feet in the air when two strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind and he was pulled against a hard chest.

“Relax, Harry,” Draco whispered in his ear. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“I know that.” Harry clenched his jaw and sighed frustrated.

“Hey, look, if you really don’t want to do it, we can just go to sleep now, okay?” his husband murmured soothingly. “You don’t have to force yourself, if you don’t want to. I can wait.”

“But I want to do it!” Harry insisted and turned around to face the blond. “I want to, really.”

Grey eyes stared at him thoughtfully for a moment and he hold his breath. His legs were trembling and he hoped Draco wouldn’t notice that.

“You know what?” Draco murmured and raised his hands to clasp Harry’s shoulders. “We’ll do it slowly, all right? We’ll go lay down and we start from there. No need to rush.”

Harry pressed his lips together, but nodded. He let himself be guided to the bed and after kicking off his shoes, he crawled on the bed, sitting down rigidly. He knew he should relax, lest Draco would think he had been lying, but it was so hard …

The bed dipped when Draco joined him and for a short moment they both didn’t move, only sat there in silence. Then Draco moved closer to him, placed his hands on his cheeks and drew him in to kiss him softly on his lips. A light nip on his lower lip made him sigh and he slowly opened his mouth, giving the blond the chance to sneak his tongue in.

A tongue touched his own and slid against it, before it lapped at the inside of his cheeks and his palate, coming back to his tongue to curl around it. Their breathing sped up automatically and was audible in the room. The bed creaked a bit when Draco shifted and Harry felt himself being pushed down carefully, until his back touched the soft matrass. He stretched out his arms and wrapped them around Draco’s shoulders, drawing him in. Draco complied and after a short hesitance, the dark haired man opened his legs and welcomed his husband to lie between them.

Draco drew back a bit and both gasped for air. Grey eyes catching green ones, Harry felt slender hands slowly popping the buttons on his shirt open. He squirmed in embarrassment, but didn’t stop the other from continuing. When all the buttons were undone, his shirt was spread wide open and he felt eyes studying his chest. A flush spread out over his cheeks, continuing down his neck and he turned his head away, his arms falling back on the bed, his hands clenching the sheets.

“You’re beautiful.” The whispered comment made him look back in surprise and the blond smiled wryly. “How you could ever think otherwise, is beyond me.”

Harry shrugged, feeling uncomfortable and he frowned. “Hey, it’s only fair if you get naked too, isn’t it?” he mumbled petulantly, wanting to direct Draco’s attention elsewhere.

A blond eyebrow rose up in challenge and suddenly his hands were grabbed and put over the first button. “Why don’t you do it for me?”

Harry stared at him in shock and uncertainty, but when Draco gave no sign of budging, he swallowed and with trembling fingers he began to pop the buttons open, revealing smooth, pale skin that was illuminated by the moon, shining through the window. Harry’s breath caught in his throat and he berated himself for being so caught off guard with seeing Draco’s naked chest, when he had seen him half naked before.

Still, tonight it all seemed different.

Draco shrugged his shirt off and after giving him a look, he beckoned Harry to raise up and understanding the unspoken command, Harry took his shirt off too and shivered when the cool air hit his warm skin.

Draco pushed him back down and they both shivered when their naked chests touched each other. Harry took a deep breath and hesitatingly, he brought his hands up and placed them just underneath Draco’s collarbone, before he trailed them up and down, feeling goosebumps appear in his wake and his fingers skidded around Draco’s abs before they went back up again.

Draco heaved a sigh of pleasure before his own hands started their journey on Harry’s skin. It was the first time for both men to touch each other like this. Draco had touched his stomach before, but that had been while he was carrying Caelyn and hadn’t had the same intention behind it as it did now. Back then, it had been to simply feel their baby kicking, but now it was with the intent to relax and arouse him.

“You like it?” Draco murmured in his ear and he hummed back in agreement before he reached up a bit to kiss him in his neck. He felt Draco tweaking his nipple and in response to that, he carefully bit down on a patch of skin, soothing it quickly with his tongue. When he pulled back, it was already blossoming bright red and he smiled.

For a while, they did nothing else but kiss and touch. Eventually Draco’s hands wandered downwards and he pulled back from Harry’s neck to look at him questioningly. His hands rested on Harry’s belt, while his thumbs dipped down and slipped between his pants and skin.

Harry’s stomach muscles clenched and he bit his lip hard. His breath shuddered, but he reminded himself to relax. He wanted this. He had been thinking about it for a while now. He needed this.

After a small nod, Draco rose up and unbuckled his belt, sliding it out of the loops before he slid down the zipper. Harry, not wanting to feel left out or being passive, sat up and began opening Draco’s pants, feeling the muscles rippling in surprise. He refused to look up and pushed down the black pants when he finally had won the struggle between him and the pants.

Both pants were dropped on the floor and now they were only left in their boxers. Insecurity flashing up, Harry tugged down the sheets and slid between them, feeling relieved at the cover it provided.

Draco threw him a look as if to admonish him for covering himself up, but he seemed to realize he wouldn’t be able to make Harry budge on this one and so, he slid between the sheets himself, immediately pressing his body against Harry’s.

Twin groans filled the room when their arousals pressed together and Harry pushed himself even closer, feeling more eager to continue now.

Draco smiled and once again he pressed their lips together, though now he was more insistent, kissing him harder and forcing him to react. His skin felt like it was on fire and his head felt heavy with want.

Draco’s lips slid from his mouth, over his cheek, downwards to his neck where they roamed a bit before settling on a patch of skin right above his collarbone. He gasped and his hands shot out to clamp down on Draco’s shoulders when he felt two lips sucking harshly on his skin, leaving a burning sensation behind. The devious mouth continued his path downwards until it reached one of his nipples and his back arched in response when Draco took his nipple between his lips and sucked on it, tweaking the other one with his fingers.

When he felt a tongue dipping into his bellybutton, he started to tremble and he squirmed, biting his lip. He didn’t know whether to pull Draco closer or push him away. Draco answered his question by pulling back and going up again to kiss him.

“At any moment you want to stop, just say it, okay?” Draco whispered and stroked his bangs back.

Harry nodded and distracted himself by touching Draco’s chest again. He felt Draco doing the same to him and he gasped silently in Draco’s mouth when he felt two hands resting on his lower stomach. The hands started to draw circles on his warm skin, meaningless patterns and he held his breath. Time seemed to slow down when the hands finally rested on his hips, above his boxer short.

“May I take it off?”

After a short moment of hesitating, Harry finally nodded and he raised his hips a bit, making it easier for the blond to pull his boxers down. Not wanting to be the only one fully naked, he shyly pushed Draco’s shorts down, looking away while doing so. He felt Draco pulling his down completely and throwing it on the floor too.

His face went fire red when he realized that they were now fully naked. For the first time. There was no hiding anymore.

“Can I touch you?” Draco murmured and his hands reached out hesitatingly.

Taking a deep breath, reminding himself that this was Draco and that he trusted him, wanted him, needed him, he nodded and shifted a bit. He felt hands grabbing his hips and pulling him closer to the other one and he nearly jumped when their cocks touched each other. His breathing quickened and he closed his eyes when he felt a slender hand wrapping itself around his hard cock, giving it a slight tug. Another hand slid around his hip downwards and grabbed his leg, pulling it over Draco’s leg.

His body trembled slightly, but he got used to the new, foreign feeling and when Draco started to stroke him faster, a groan unwillingly escaped his mouth.

“Yes, that’s it. I want to hear you,” Draco smiled and began to suckle on his earlobe.

He bit his lip and shoved his hand between their bodies. His fingers skidded over Draco’s hard, straining cock and awkwardly he tugged softly on it, trying to copy Draco’s actions.

He felt Draco releasing a quick gasp and he looked up, worried he had done something wrong. But his grey eyes were glazed over and half lidded with lust, and Harry took that as confirmation that he wasn’t screwing up.

His breath quickened and he began to feel warmer, with each stroke that was delivered to his cock. His lower belly felt funny, as if a fire was burning and he grew hotter. Both their skins felt damp with sweat, and that combined with the pre cum, that had started to drip down their cocks, made their mutual wanking easier.

Without realizing it, Harry had closed his eyes some time during the stroking and soft moans were constantly trying to escape from his throat. His eyes shot open when Draco suddenly removed his hand and he felt him shifting sideways.

“Draco?” he asked bewildered.

Draco turned back to face him and he held his wand up. “I need it for the lubrication spell,” he clarified.

“Oh.” Suddenly Harry’s throat felt dry. Right. The preparation would start now; he somehow had forgotten about that little fact.

Suddenly his blood roared in his ears and because of that, he didn’t hear Draco murmuring the lubrication spell, nor noticed his hand moving until he jumped when he felt something cold and wet pressing against his entrance.

“Sorry it’s so cold.” Draco winced and his one free hand grabbed Harry’s head and pulled him closer to kiss him, while his finger circled around Harry’s tight entrance. The moment he pushed his tongue between Harry’s lips, he also carefully pressed his finger in him and groaned silently at the heat that enveloped his finger. God, he had forgotten how tight Harry had been. He swallowed Harry’s pained whimper and tried to express his reassurance through his kiss. He knew this had to be uncomfortable for his dark haired lover, but there was no avoiding this. If he took him without preparation, it would hurt a lot more and he wanted to make sure that Harry enjoyed this night.

He had decided to treat this as if it was really Harry’s first time being penetrated and not a second time, albeit this one he would remember. Not wanting to get lost in that particular thought process, he coaxed Harry’s tongue to play with his; he pulled his finger back and then reinserted two fingers, carefully scissoring the tight entrance.

Harry squirmed uncomfortably against him and he felt nails digging into his back. He winced slightly, but set himself on finding that particular elusive spot that hopefully would make Harry forget about the pain. He slowly pushed his fingers deeper in Harry and he felt him breathing harshly against his shoulder.

“Ah!” This airy outburst was enough to make Draco smile in triumph and he stroked the smooth gland he had discovered just mere seconds ago, again, feeling a shock go through Harry’s body as if electricity had managed to hit him.

“Ughn,” Harry moaned throatily and his hips started to move subconsciously in time with Draco’s thrusts.

“Does it feel good?” Draco whispered in his ear and the black hair tickled his chin when Harry pulled back to look at him with dazed eyes.

“Hmmm,” Harry breathed and wiggled a bit, biting his lip when his prostate was struck again. If Draco just kept aiming there, he thought he could handle all this.

Quickly Draco retracted his fingers, lubricated them again and then slid back inside with three fingers. This proved harder for Harry to get used to. His forehead was marred by a frown and he grimaced; Draco felt his inner muscles contract around his fingers, as if to push him out.

Hastily Draco pushed his fingers deeper and smiled when he felt Harry relaxing slowly around his fingers.

He kept scissoring his fingers to stretch Harry as much as possible and kept tabs on Harry’s face to register every emotion that flashed by.

Eventually he deemed the black haired boy ready – well, as ready as he could ever be in this situation and pulled his hand back.

Emerald green eyes opened and stared at him wide eyed.

“How do you want to do it?” Draco questioned and sat up a bit. He figured giving Harry the choice would make the young man a bit more comfortable.

“Eh, I don’t know,” Harry muttered and his cheeks went even redder. “I don’t have anything particularly in mind, really …” he trailed off embarrassed.

“Well, you can lay on your back, if you don’t mind. Or on hands and knees,” Draco suggested.

Harry looked doubtful. “I want to see your face,” he muttered without thinking and looked away embarrassed when his brain caught up with his words.

Draco chuckled softly. “All right, I prefer that too. I want to see your face as well,” he admitted and while Harry laid down on his back, he quickly muttered the lubrication spell again, but this time wetted his cock.

The sheets fell off to their hips when Draco crawled between Harry’s spread legs. He placed his hands on Harry’s clammy knees and carefully pushed them up, shifting a bit closer to Harry’s entrance.

When his tip rested against the stretched entrance, he looked at Harry who had stretched out his arms to embrace his neck.

“Ready?”

Harry took a deep breath and nodded determined. “Go on.”

One hand on the pillow to hold his weight and the other grabbing Harry’s neck to hold him in place so that he could kiss those bruised, cherry red lips, he slowly pushed forwards, feeling the tight, wet heat enveloping his cock and his muscles hurt with the strain he put on them to not suddenly shove forwards, like his body wanted to do. He had to do this slowly. He could do fast later on, but now they needed to do it slowly. He owned that to Harry.

Harry was whimpering softly and his legs trembled around Draco’s hips. He pulled back from the kiss and pressed his face in Draco’s pale, sweaty shoulder, biting his lower lip. Draco hadn’t felt this big before. Now it seemed he was ruthlessly stretching him, making his insides burn, even though he knew that the blond was going slowly. It felt like he was slowly tearing and his muscles automatically tensed up in reaction to the pain.

“Relax, Harry,” Draco murmured in his ear and he sounded strained. He finally came to a stop, having buried himself completely inside his husband’s body.

“Ha, ha, ha.” Harry tried to calm himself down, knowing he had to be relaxed in order to let this go on without too much pain. It took a while, but Draco stayed patiently still even though it had to be difficult. Finally Harry had his muscles as relaxed as he could possibly get and he nodded. “All right, you can move.”

Draco looked at him and nodded. Slowly he pulled back and seemed to pause before he slid back in. Their mouths found each other again and Draco’s hand slid down from Harry’s neck to intertwine with one of his hands and he pulled their hands up, above Harry’s head. The other hand rubbed from his waist to his hip, to his stomach and back to his waist.

It took a few tries, but finally Draco managed to locate Harry’s sweet spot and when Harry released his first surprised moan, the blond took this as a sign to quicken his pace a bit.

Harry grunted a bit when he felt the pace quicken and the thrusts becoming harder, but he just wrapped his legs tightly around Draco’s hips, riding his thrusts as best as he could.

He had to admit that now that Draco had found his prostate that it was starting to feel amazing. It was still a bit uncomfortable to be filled to the brim, but instead of painful, he now felt just full and the sparks of arousal started to course through his body again. He gasped when a particular hard thrust hit his prostate dead on and his eyes rolled upwards. Draco took advantage of his new position and attacked his neck again. Harry couldn’t contain the moan that broke out when he felt Draco’s mouth sucking furiously just beneath his ear.

His hands shifted from Draco’s slippery back to his hair and he buried his hands in the bright blond locks, messing it up in the process.

Whenever Draco pushed up, using his feet as leverage on the bed, Harry pushed his hips down, creating a satisfying rhythm.

Their coupling seemed endless, but eventually came the moment where Harry felt something building up in his stomach; his whole body felt hypersensitive. His orgasm took him completely by surprise and he threw his head back, pressing against the pillow and harsh, loud “Ha, hah, ah,” sounds escaped his throat, his eyes clenched shut while his whole body seemed to suffer from a mini earthquake. His legs locked tightly around Draco’s hips and his inner muscles squeezed harshly around Draco’s burning cock inside of him.

While the squeezing around his cock definitely contributed to his orgasm, Draco swore he mostly came from looking at Harry’s face alone. He had never seen him looking like that and the image burned itself into his brain, triggering his upcoming orgasm. He harshly delivered one last push and came, buried deeply into Harry’s body, his face right next to Harry, his teeth biting into the cloth.

Harry moaned softly when he felt the hot liquid splashing against his inner walls and he sagged down on the bed, completely spent. His whole body felt numb, as if made of rubber.

Draco remained buried inside of him for just a few minutes longer before he softly pulled out and laid down next to Harry, pulling him into his arms.

Harry sighed contently and placed his head on Draco’s pale chest, blushing a bit when he saw the red marks littering Draco’s chest. He hadn’t realized he had left that many.

Looking back at it now, he felt silly for worrying so much about this evening. It had been wonderful and he could admit to himself that he wouldn’t be opposed to doing it again. But later though. Now he was utterly spent.

“I love you,” Harry whispered and they shared one last sweet, tender kiss.

“I love you too,” Draco smiled and it wasn’t long before the fatigue of the excitement and their tumbling caught up with Harry and dragged him into a deep sleep.

Draco looked down at Harry’s face and one of his fingers traced a mark he had left behind on Harry’s shoulder. It was official now. There was nothing that could separate them anymore. Except one thing.

His memories of that one night where he had betrayed Harry. If someone ever got a hold of those memories, he would lose everything he hold dear. That couldn’t happen. He wouldn’t let that happen. He had waited so long to have Harry – he wouldn’t let him be taken away from him.

Carefully, slowly as to not awaken his husband, Draco reached his arm out and his fingers closed around the familiar wood of his wand. He brought it back to him. This was the moment. After this, nobody would be able to tear them apart. He just needed to concentrate a bit; it wouldn’t do to screw up now.

In the silence of the bedroom, broken only by the soft breaths of his lover, three words rang out, “Obliviate mea memoria.”

**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think of it? Was it good? Normally this story will be updated fairly often, considering it's already completed.


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